


[CANCELED] Sex, Lies, and Diamonds

by hathawaynoa0093 (NuPassion0093), NuPassion0093



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Abusive Relationships, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Blood and Gore, Child Abuse, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dialogue Heavy, Diamond Connie Maheswaran, Disturbing Fluff, Disturbing Themes, Domestic Violence, Drinking, Drunk Sex, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Evil Connie Maheswaran, Evil Crystal gems, Evil Pink Diamond, F/M, Garnet is good, Gem Resetting, Grooming, Heavy Angst, Human to Gem Metamorphosis, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Family Violence, Implied/Referenced Physical Abuse, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, Incest, Molestation, Parent/Child Incest, Past Child Abuse, Pedophilia, Physical Abuse, Pink Diamond is an absolute monster, Psychological Horror, Psychological Trauma, Resentful White Diamond, Sex Work, Sex that isn't sexy, Sexual Abuse, Slow Burn, Terrorism, The Crystal Gems and Diamonds are groomers and molesters, Torture, Underage Drinking, Underage Rape/Non-con, Underage Sex, Unhealthy Relationships, Verbal Abuse, White Diamond isn't good but she's not evil, family violence, implied drunk sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2020-09-26 17:09:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 29
Words: 94,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20393200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NuPassion0093/pseuds/hathawaynoa0093, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NuPassion0093/pseuds/NuPassion0093
Summary: It's been ten years since the dissolution of the Diamond Authority. The son of Pink Diamond finds himself helplessly spiraling down journey through heavy abuse and hurtful deception.-Please read the tags and be mindful. This is not a fun, happy smut fic.This has mature, disturbing content, mainly involving the abuse of children, and if that upsets you, I can't blame you for clicking away. Thank you.





	1. Prologue / Chapter One: Ten Years Later

The crowd outside was loud. Almost angry. The temperature was hot, even for Earth. She turned to face her sobbing friend, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking down at her, her expression as stern as ever.

"Remember that we're all doing this for you. Not for him, and certainly not for _him_. So for your sake, this had better work."

Tears still streaming down the woman's face, her friend and fellow ruler took her hand.

"They're waiting."

The two walked out into the sunlight. The crowd hollered out with boos and jeers. She stepped up to the podium.

"Yes, yes, we get it- ...This is on?... Ahem. I'm sure you all know who we are. But we're not here for the reasons you think we are. We're here to stop the fighting."

The crowd suddenly fell to a hush.

"We of the Authority never cared about what our colonization efforts did to those under us," she said, holding back a sneer. "That was until one of our own pretended to defect to your side."

Immediately the crowd became angry and vocal about their displeasure. The woman clenched her fist behind the podium.

"Do you think we'd be saying this to make us look good? You should be _grateful_ for our transparency!"

"Yellow, stop!"

The other woman took the mic from the podium stand. Yellow looked irate.

"Fine then. Do what you can to pacify these imbeciles," she growled. Her friend continued, ignoring her remarks.

"People of Earth? I was the spy. And I-"

More boos followed her announcement, yet she continued on.

"I didn't and never would wish any harm on your people or planet. I took the position because I was honestly interested in your species. And I have someone I want you to meet... My husband, a human."

She pulled a photograph out from her pocket.

"This man's name was Greg. He was the only Earthling who I told my secret to. And he didn't hold it against me. I told him my beliefs that we should all strive for peace between us. He wanted peace between not just us, but our colonies as well."

She put the photo away, and walked off stage, towards the crowd.

"He died fighting for peace. He left me and his unborn son to realize his ideals. How many of you have lost your way of life or someone you loved from all the tension between us?"

The crowd was silent. Seconds passed before a few raised their hands, until all that could be seen was a sea of raised human hands. The woman giving the speech smiled.

"Your sacrifices and theirs weren't in vain. Today, everything changes," she proclaimed as she got back up onstage. "Today, I, Pink Diamond, ratified the Greg Universe Concordat, which will officially dissolve the power of the Diamond Authority-"

Pink didn't get to finish. The crowd erupted into cheering and joy. She smiled as she dropped the mic and went back inside. She took a deep breath out as tears began to well up again. The other three diamonds stared at her, nervous and angry.

"**DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?**" screamed Yellow. "YOU CAN'T JUST DISSOLVE OUR EMPIRE BY SAYING SOME WORDS ON A STAGE!"

"You're right, I can't," said Pink, "but all the other Gems and colonies can."

"But they- wait, no... You didn't!"

"Yes, I did."

"Grrr..."

"Silence, Yellow!"

White's voice boomed over the four.

"You've always been so short-sighted. This is a benefit to all of us in the long run."

"Us? What us!? Us as Diamonds? Don't give me that airy-fairy _dribble_ about how we should feel sorry for you and your half-breed child-"

***WHACK!* **

Yellow recoiled from a solid punch to the jaw. She grunted before looking where the blow came from.. Blue threw the punch before breaking down into tears. By the time Pink went to comfort Blue, Yellow had already disappeared through a portal back to Homeworld. Blue stammered through her sobbing.

"She- _*sniff*_ she can't just get away with... With... With ruining this special day!"

"It's fine," Pink said as she gave Blue a hug and a peck on the cheek. "She's just mad that I've got more charisma."

"Still, Blue, you as well as Yellow should prepare apologies at once," White interrupted. "Our authority should not end with petty infighting. Even as as our executive power crumbles, there shall be no lack of discipline. And Pink?... I'm sorry for your loss."

White opened her own portal back to her home world.

"Oh... And just a suggestion... If you could, tell me what to look for in these "homo sapiens". I'm thinking of settling down... that, and I've already grown weary of the generic male pictures you've collected."

"Start by looking up the word 'fireman'," Pink replied before White's portal dematerialized. Blue looked confused as the two started to walk outside.

"Weary of...? You've been taking photos of humans the whole time?"

"Yup. And the other Diamonds like the sort of humans I _know_ you like... I should know, because I sent them those photos."

"So _that's_ what those encrypted transmissions were!"

"Wow, you haven't seen them? Someone's missing ooout~"

The two diamonds went out into the crowd to celebrate the easing of tensions, the incoming dissolution of an empire, and the beginning of an entirely different way of life.

_ **\--Ten years later--** _

"Garnet!"

"Amethyst!"

"Pearl!"

"Aaand STEVEN!"

The crowd clapped as the four finished. It was obvious who would win the school talent show - then again, it was almost cheating to have three fully grown Gems join you. The four waved at the crowd and solemnly bowed out before packing up their instruments and walking off stage.

"You did amazing, Steven!"

Greeting him offstage was none other than his best friend Connie. She gave the young boy a big hug while the three gems stood and watched.

"Excuse me, but uh... Ahem?"

Garnet coughed into her fist, making Connie blush and stand up.

"Yes, yes, yes! You all did a great job tonight!"

"Thank you."

Garnet shot Connie a smile as the four left backstage. Outside was none other than Steven's very own mother, Rose.

"Oh, sweetheart... That was a wonderful show you put on," she said as she knelt to give Steven a hug. Steven kissed his mom on the cheek.

"Thanks mom! We played so loud that I bet dad could hear it up in Homeworld!"

"Heheheh, you mean Heaven, Stevie?"

"Yeah!... That's the same thing, right?"

"Hahahah! Oh, Stevie..."

Pearl butted in, grabbing Steven's hand.

"I hate to break up the touching moment, but they're about to tell us who the winner is!"

"Aw, does it really matter who won, Pearl?" asked Amethyst. "We all had fun performing and watching others!"

"But I like winning..."

"Me too, but you just gotta let some things go, sis! Just swallow your pride for a good thirty seconds."

"Fine..."

The group walked backstage, taking up the most space as groups of other kids crowded the relatively small bit of breathing room.

"Our judges have decided, and the winner is... Steven Universe!"

Steven ran on stage and basked in the spotlight as the crowd clapped and cheered for him. His gem friends joined him to thunderous applause.

"Thank you!!" he said into the mic. "Me and my friends are all super happy that you picked us! But uh..."

He looked at the other kids offstage.

"I think giving it to me and my friends would be cheating. So I'm gonna split our win among all the kids who performed!"

He waved at the others offstage, and slowly they came out, person by person and group by group, each one receiving applause. Steven felt good as all the kids around him cried and cheered from joy. He took the mic again.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!"

Steven and his gem friends walked off stage to applause from the crowd. Rose was near the staircase leading back into the main hallway.

"That's my boy. Ready to go home, sweetheart?"

"Yup!"

Connie popped in between Steven and Pearl.

"BOO!"

"Aah!... Connie!"

"Heehee, gotcha!"

Rose giggled as Connie stared up at her.

"Miss Diamond, can I come home with you and Steven?"

"Sure thing. Just don't get too crazy, ok?"

"Okay, miss!"

Soon, the group of gems left the school and drove off into the warm night, the other Gems not noticing how Steven's expression had changed slightly.


	2. Chapter 2: Playing Photos

"Hey, Steven? We're all ready."

Steven was sitting in the family couch when Connie, dressed in her pajamas, appeared beside him.

"Connie? I, uh... I dunno if I wanna play photos tonight..."

"Why not? It's the least you deserve after you won the talent show."

She kissed him on the cheek, the kiss a bit more... sincere than the one from earlier. Steven blushed and broke eye contact; Connie frowned and caressed his cheek.

"Steven... We both love you so much. This should be fun for you."

Steven paused to think for several seconds.

"Well... O...kay..."

Connie held Steven's hand in hers as she led him into the backroom.

"Don't worry, Stevie. You always have fun once we get into it!"

Connie pulled out a book from the bookshelf. The bookshelf swung open, revealing a secret passage that led down a flight of stairs. Steven stepped down a tad slower than Connie, although he knew he couldn't just stop and turn around, not without breaking her heart... or getting something of _his_ broken. At the bottom was a door, made from metal. **_"DONT GO IN!! -Rose" _**was scribbled under the eye-hole. Connie knocked on the door; in seconds, it opened up to Pink Diamond, wearing a very revealing nighttime dress, one that beautifully highlighted her motherly curves.

"Ah, good. Come on in."

The pair entered the room; the door shut behind them. The three of them were alone in this secret room, one with a twin mattress, green lighting, and a desk with a computer on it. Connie sensually rubbed Steven's back, getting on her knees, her mouth at his ears.

"Time to play photos, Stevie," she whispered.

Steven didn't answer back; instead, he took all his clothes off, stripping down in front of his mom and friend. His mom had set up a camera on a tripod, and Connie pointed it down at Steven as his mother put her hand up her dress.

"Now... Lemme see that big, beautiful butt you've got, mister," said Connie. The camera light was green. It was photo time. Steven leaned back, holding his legs up and showing his backside to the camera.

_Click. Click. Click. _

"Good, you're a natural, Stevie," said Connie. "now... I want you to turn over and spread 'em."

Steven rolled over on the bed and pryed open his buttcheeks with his little hands.

_Click. Click... Click. _

"There we go... Looking good. Turn around again, please?"

Steven rolled back, his hands still on his butt. Connie lightly smiled.

"You can take your hands off now, silly... I know you don't wanna be here for too long, so we'll end early tonight... After you finish."

"What?... But I don't feel like finishing tonight."

"Steven, please? It would make your mom and me real sad if you didn't end with a big finish."

Steven sighed, feeling drained already.

"Okay..."

"Oh... Your mom said I could help you."

"Huh?"

Connie got on her knees in front of Steven and took her shirt off. The orb-things on her chest were well formed enough for her to take Steven's privates and push them between her. Steven's face went red when he saw his mom, fluids dripping from her legs, grab the camera and take photos, one hand clicking away at the shutter, the other firmly up her dress. He began to pant as his little pee-pee grew slightly between Connie's chest things, Connie giving it a lick and kiss every few seconds as fluids seeped from the private part. Steven looked up, scared, at his mother.

"M- mom... Mom, I... I wanna stop now..."

His mother was breathing hard from the exertion.

"_No! No..._ You haven't finished yet..."

"Steven, keep your eyes on me," demanded Connie. Steven quickly resumed eye contact with Connie as she began to breathe quicker, her things now bouncing, up and down, up and down, Steven's privates between them. And then...

"C- Connie... I..."

Steven grabbed Connie's chest things and thrust into them on instinct. A few spurts of warm, slimy, silvery fluids jetted from Steven's privates, making Connie giggle as the fluids lightly grazed the top of her breasts and the bottom of her face. Steven was wiped out as he splayed out on the bed. He closed his eyes, waiting to go to sleep-

"Steven? Sweetheart?"

His mother flopped down on the bed beside him, now totally naked, her privates covered in fluids.

"Someone wants to meet you."

She held the phone up to Steven's eyes. Steven lazily grabbed it and started to focus on the words onscreen. He was too tired to think deeply on how it looked suspiciously like a group chat application.

_"Steven,"_ began the message, _"you don't know me, but... I LOVE YOU. Your mother brought a special little Gem to all of us when she met your father, and now...we need to meet. You need to meet me and the other Diamonds. I must give you my message of unrequited love in person, my sweet!"_

Underneath that was another message, from another person, saying _"uH bWuH bWuH bLuH"_, followed by _"stop making fun of my personal feelings, Steven needs to..."_ The screen cut the message off. Pink patted him on the belly as she cuddled up next to him.

"Did you read it, Stevie? You're gonna be real busy tomorrow... And you've got the two best sleep aids in the world."

Pink and Connie properly laid in the bed, Steven keeping his eyes shut as he could feel the two's breasts and bellies between him. He tried his best to sleep while he heard strange noises, Connie's giggling, and hushed remarks like _"tasty... even dried"_ from his mom. Eventually, the two fell asleep, leaving Steven, wide awake and contemplating what would happen tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3: The Diamond Authority

"Hey, Steven? Hellooo?"

"Uh? Uh, yeah, sorry..."

Steven shook his head to try and stay awake, dozing off even in his formal suit.

"Don't be sorry," Amethyst said as she tightened his bowtie. "I just want you to look your best when you go to Homeworld. Your mom told me all about it - you've got a big day ahead of you, and the Diamonds aren't easily impressed!"

"Yeah, but... I don't wanna go..."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm scared."

"Aw, the Diamonds are nothing to be afraid of, Steven. They're just taller than you."

"But they can do more stuff than just be tall."

"Like what? They can't be that bad."

"I... I heard they can squish you and make you go _'poof'_."

"That's probably just a myth, Steven. Everyone knows that the Diamonds can't do much of anything since your mom... You know."

Amethyst patted Steven on the back and gave him a hug.

"You're just nervous, and you need some reassurance. Everything's gonna be A-OK! They'll probably love you."

Amethyst shot Steven a wide, beaming grin when Pink entered the bedroom. She gasped in delight.

"Oh my, Amethyst... What a dazzling little outfit for my special little Gem! Thank you for helping us on such short notice."

"Don't mention it, Miss Quartz!"

Amethyst gave Steven a thumbs up and a wink before heading out the door.

"Have fun! Garnet's out doing therapist stuff, so me and the other Gems will just goof off. Not like we'll have more fun than you!"

Amethyst closed the door behind her. Steven began to sweat, tugging at his collar before his mother grabbed his hand.

"They're all ready, Steven."

Pink held her free hand out, and in a moment, a portal in spacetime appeared in front of them. Before Steven could inquire, Pink leapt through the portal, taking young Steven with her. Steven was disoriented and fell on the floor, turning over on his back, now seeing that his bedroom ceiling was replaced with an open, dark sky.

"Steven? Is that you?"

The young boy heard a voice he didn't recognize; it was a voice that was glum and soft-spoken. Then, a blue woman towered over him, holding her hand out.

"Hello... Can you take my hand?"

"The first trip's a bitch, isn't it, boy?" another woman said.

The blue woman gasped and looked to where the other voice came from.

"Yellow! No expletives in front of the child!"

"Oh, like you care."

Steven took the blue woman's hand and stood on his two feet. She knelt down, smiling, holding his face like a mother reunited with her child.

"It's finally you, my sweet Steven Universe... I'm so happy, I could..."

The strange woman began to cry as she parted her long, light blue hair. Steven was visibly uncomfortable; he looked right at his mother, who an expression of happiness on her face.

"Mom? Who's this?"

Pink took Steven's hand again and led him away from the blue woman, making her get up and follow the two. Looking towards the collection of thrones, the other voice now had a face - a stern looking yellow woman. She smirked at him.

"How's our little porn star doing? Did your mother ever tell you that you make the funniest faces when you-"

"Cool it, Yellow," demanded Pink. Yellow rolled her eyes. Steven looked around at the three.

"I don't understand! Who are you!?"

"Those two, Steven," a third feminine voice bellowed, "are Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond of the former Diamond Authority."

From out of thin air materialized a beautiful cloud-white lady, her long, flowing dress reaching to the floor, her eyes almost sparkling as they met Steven's.

"And I am White Diamond. My apologies to you all for being late," she said. "I had to broker some peace treaties between hostile communes. It's irrelevant to the topic at hand, and frankly, quite boring."

She sat at her throne, crossing her legs as the other Diamonds returned to their respective thrones.

"So... Steven Quartz Universe. Do you know who called you here and why?"

Steven felt his tension rise and the heat in the room increase as the four Diamonds stared at him, waiting for an answer. He gulped, completely out of things to say.

"Uh... I... really don't know..."

"Interesting... Because I don't."

"What? But don't you lead the Diamonds?"

"Of course not, not anymore. Didn't you pay attention in history class?"

"Y- yeah, but-"

"So I want to know. Who summoned you to us?"

"It was me, White," said Blue as she raised her hand. White leaned forward in her seat to stare unhappily at Blue.

"You? Why didn't you say so?"

"You never asked."

White sighed, slamming her open palm into her face.

"You've just wasted all of our time to make our friend's son visibly uncomfortable for a good two minutes!"

Pink shot Blue a look.

"Are you gonna tell her or no?"

Blue stood from her throne and took Steven by the hand.

"Come with me, dear Steven."

The young boy felt a surge of anxiety as Blue almost dragged him to White's throne.

"Madame White? I'd like for you to come with us."

White raised an eyebrow at the two.

"Fine. But if you waste my time again, I'm heading right back to Kizuju."

As White followed them, Blue felt around the open sky behind the thrones. It seemed to Steven like there was something more solid there. Suddenly, a door shaped hole opened up in the sky. Steven was incredibly confused as the door led to a perfectly white room.

"See?" said Blue. "It's just like what your kind would call a 'planetarium'."

Steven stepped into the room, its floor pillowy and soft, before a hand sternly grabbed his other arm.

"Blue! What do you think you're doing!? This is my room, and it's supposed to be a Diamond secret!"

White Diamond sounded absolutely furious, tugging Steven back out of her room, an iron grip on Steven's forearm.

"Don't get mad," Blue said as she pulled on Steven's other arm. "we just need some privacy!"

"Then we could just have the other two leave! You can't just barge into my room after-"

"Guys, stop!" interjected Steven. "If Blue called us here, and she wants us to go to your room, maybe she has a good reason."

White sighed, rolling her eyes and shutting the door.

"Fine, let's hear out the ten year old..."

"But you're hearing Blue out, not me. So what is it, Blue?"

Blue looked down, then guided Steven towards the bed.

"Steven? Do you remember the... message I sent to you?"

It took a few seconds for it to click with Steven. But when he got it, he froze.

"That was you on the phone?"

"Yes. Steven, I... I love you."

The room fell silent for a minute.

"You're in love with a ten year old child?" White asked with a grimace. "How?"

"...I'll show you."

Blue sat on the bed next to Steven, then put a hand on his belt.

"Steven? You know why I love you. So does Yellow. But White doesn't."

"What're you talking about?" asked White, her tone increasingly angry. "What's going on here?"

Then, like a woman possessed, Blue quickly undid Steven's belt and unbuttoned his top. Steven couldn't even speak, he was so full of dread and fear, as Blue frantically undressed him in front of White. His overshirt was off. Then his slacks. Then his undershirt. Soon he was down to his undies, a realization that made Steven lay back on the bed. Blue had seemed to calm down a bit, yet her breathing was almost panicked as she flopped on the bed and motioned towards Steven, beckoning to him.

"Steven... Come lay with me."

Her dress abruptly dematerialized, her full, glorious figure in plain view of the young human. But Steven wouldn't budge. He couldn't, neither physically nor mentally, a paralysis of fear gripping him. So, Blue took him by the underarms and pulled him up to her. Face to face. Body to body. Blue wrapped her arms around him, locking Steven in. She entered a fetal position, Steven's legs caught betwen her legs and her abdomen. The room was quiet enough for a pin to drop.

"Please join me, White..." cooed Blue.

White, still at the door, looked as furious as ever.

"You've never changed. None of you have. You disgust me."

White left her room, slamming the door shut before the sound of a portal opening and shutting reverberated throughout the room. Steven closed his eyes, expecting something bad to happen. Instead, he felt something pitter-patter against the bed. He opened his eyes to see Blue crying like he had never seen someone cry before. It was a quiet, yet impactful sob that almost made Steven break out in tears.

"I thought she... I thought you would make her come back to us..."

Blue hugged Steven tighter as she cried against him.

"Steven, you.... You always made me feel better when I've felt bad, and now..."

Blue stared straight into Steven's eyes before she held him close and kissed him on the lips. Steven was caught off guard as he felt Blue's lips repeatedly press against his, felt her tongue squirming around in his mouth, felt her hug tighten his chest. He had little choice other than to halfheartedly embrace the kiss, closing his eyes as the kiss continued uninterrupted for what seemed like an eternity. Then, as quickly as she began, she stopped, pulling away from her young love, spit trailing from their mouths. Steven coughed, Blue panted.

"S- Steven... I want to... consummate our love..."

Steven felt a hand reaching down his undies. Immediately, he broke out of his paralysis and crawled off the bed.

"No! NO!"

Without getting any of his clothes, Steven exited the bedroom and slammed the door, blocking it with his body.

"Oh, you're back."

Yellow sounded smug.

"I told you he wouldn't last five seconds. So how was it, boy? Did you come too early?"

Pink rose from her throne and knelt in front of her son, rubbing his cheek.

"Oh, sweetheart... You didn't play with Blue? But she's loved you for so long."

"I didn't even know who she was until, like, ten minutes ago!"

"Steven, she's my friend-"

"Mooom!"

Pink sighed, taking Steven's hand, not wanting an argument.

"Alright, sweetie. We're going home."

Pink caused another portal to appear, and the two leapt through without saying goodbye to the others. Arriving in his bedroom, his mind began to return to a relative normal until the full weight of the situation crushed him. He laid against his bedstand, hands in his face, sobbing as quietly as he could. His mother was observant, however, and sat beside him, allowing him to cry into her dress. Steven stammered and hyperventilated, attempting to speak about what happened.

"Mom, she- she wanted to... She put her hand down my undies and..."

"Shhh, shhh... Everything's gonna be ok. We're far away from Homeworld now."

As Pink cradled her son, she sighed.

_I'm not mad, Steven... I'm just so disappointed. All that practice hasn't paid off yet._


	4. Chapter 4: Across the Sheets

Amethyst had been channel surfing in the lounge since Steven and his mother left for Homeworld about five or six minutes earlier. _They probably won't be back for another hour,_ she thought. _Until then, I guess I can sneak into the green room for some alone time- _

But then, she heard a portal open upstairs. She turned the TV volume down and listened closely for any conversations or arguments, but she couldn't hear much of anything. And then she heard footsteps coming down. There was a thick tension in the air as Pink Diamond sat beside her, leaning forward, looking pathetic in posture as her arms sat on her knees. Pink was silent for a few seconds until she sighed.

"Amethyst?"

"Yes, miss?"

"It, uh... It didn't go well."

"I can see that."

"I don't know why he didn't do it. We've been practicing for this for so long."

"He doesn't even _have_ a gem, and he literally confused Homeworld with Heaven last night. He doesn't know a thing about the Diamonds outside of you and maybe a few paragraphs from some history textbook. And besides, he's not her type anyways."

Pink put her hands in her face and sighed, this time with more weight.

"Amethyst, I know you're trying to lighten things up, but I'm not in the mood. I just can't understand why Steven didn't go through with it."

"Hmm... Miss Diamond?"

"Yes?"

"I think you pushed him too fast."

Pink got her face out of her palms to stare back at Amethyst, a small tinge of anger in her mostly inquisitive gaze.

"What?"

"I said, I think you pushed him too hard. Steven's... _Fragile_. He's not someone who changes easily. He's done a lot with you and Connie, but he needs more experience with Gems."

Amethyst stood up only to get on her knees in front of Pink.

"So, I'm thinking..."

She held Pink's hands and gave her a friendly smile.

"What if me and the other Crystal Gems helped Steven, uh... _change his mind?_"

Pink's expression remained stone cold until she raised an eyebrow.

"Change his mind? But he doesn't..."

Pink thought on it for a few more seconds.

"...If he didn't go through with seducing her, then that means... Something inside him won't let him..."

"Yes."

"And if that's the case, then... I've been doing everything wrong."

Pink began to tear up. Amethyst sat back down on the couch and rubbed Pink's back as the Diamond stuffed her face into her hands and cried.

"Don't get discouraged," said Amethyst, "we just need to press the reset button with him. I can do it. So can Peri, Lapis, Ga- okay, not Garnet. But still-"

"Reset button? How?"

"We just need to educate him."

"I've been doing that-"

"No, you haven't."

Pink sniffled as she turned her head towards Amethyst, confused.

"I... haven't?"

"No. Example? You've been showing him the moves, but you never gave him the words to express himself. The tapes make it real obvious. Poor little dude can barely even speak, even though you and Connie can be chatterboxes sometimes."

Something clicked inside Pink's head. Her tears slowed as she got up and paced in front of the television.

"Yes, I... I see. I've been teaching him wrong this entire time. Clever gem..."

A few anxious minutes of tense pacing later, and Pink stood still, not looking at Amethyst as she came to a decision.

"Amethyst? You and the other Crystal Gems can... _teach_ Steven. Except Garnet."

"Duh."

"But not today, and maybe not even tomorrow, either. Today he needs to recover from my... bad teachings."

Pink looked over at Amethyst, who was on her phone.

"Were you listening to me?"

"Yup."

"What are you doing?"

"Just texting the others about our plan. And I may have slipped Steven's number to a certain Diamond..."

For the first time in their conversation, Pink scoffed and chuckled.

"You're a devil after my own heart, aren't you?"

_ **\--Ten days later--** _

"Steveeen! Steven! Time to go!"

Steven hurried down the steps of the Beach House, panting heavily from the rush.

"I'm, hah, I'm all ready!"

Amethyst was happily waiting at the door, her warm smile giving Steven a sweet, short bit of relief from what had happened over a week ago. He walked out the door with her, the two getting into a hover car and driving off.

"Hey, uh... You haven't even told me what movie we're gonna see."

"Heehee... It's a romcom."

"Wha-? Aww, that's lame!"

"What's wrong with romcoms, Steven?"

"I just think they're boring."

"You haven't watched any, have you?"

"Uh... No... But I-"

"So if you don't know what they're like, why not give this one a shot?"

"Eh, fine... I still really wanted to see that new movie with Rebecca Whats-her-face."

"Rebecca? She your new girlfriend?"

"N- No!! She's a TV character who just got a movie!"

"Oooh, the one from the _drama_ series? Drama movies are fine, but romcoms aren't?"

"Sh- shut up!"

Steven giggled and stared out the window. It didn't take much longer for them to reach the theater. They stepped out and walked inside, not needing to pay up front, and made their way to the concessions stand. Steven eyed all the treats with greed, thinking about what he wanted.

"Yeah, uh, just two waters and a small popcorn should be good," Amethyst said. Steven looked up at the concession staff, then Amethyst.

"Aw, c'mon, can't I have some candy? Pleeease?"

"Nope! I don't want you spoiling your dinner."

"Awwww, you're just like mom."

They got their concessions and wandered all the way to the back of the theater, where their screening was. Luckily, they didn't have assigned seat numbers, so Steven sat at his favorite movie spot - the back. Amethyst joined him, and the two got comfortable in their seats. Steven took a sip of his ice cold water, sat back, and rested his eyes as the commercials continued to play...

"Hey, Steven?"

He felt a hand on his lap.

"Wanna just... Talk?"

Steven opened his eyes back up. Amethyst was looking right at him, her hand on one of his knees, the movie having already started.

"Talk about what?" he whispered back.

"I wanted to talk about... Love. Do you love me?"

Steven sipped on some of his water, feeling an uneasiness creeping up on him.

"Love you? Uuuhhh... You're kinda like family to me, so, I guess?"

"You know, I love you too. But, uh..."

She took her hand off of his knee, only to put her arm around his shoulders.

"...I love you in a way that's stronger than the way families love each other."

Steven was equal parts confused and nervous.

"What're you talking about?"

Immediately, she retracted her arm.

"Oh, I'm just being silly again. I shouldn't talk about that here. Especially with other people around."

Steven's eyes darted around the room until he saw two figures all the way at the bottom, in the seats closest to the screen. He saw one of them looking back at him. They kept eye contact. It was a man. Older looking; brown straight hair; tan-ish shirt. Steven looked away, worrying that the man heard any of what they said, when Amethyst leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. It was a quick peck, and Amethyst looked as nervous as Steven.

"Steven," she began to ask, "did you like that? It's almost tradition for people to make out in theaters."

The young boy was stunned. He gazed at the screen, not paying attention to what was on it, or hearing any of the dialogue. Steven felt a trickle of strange, fearful nausea as he took big sips of his water. He was secretly hoping his worst fears weren't coming true.

-

Twenty minutes later, the two were slouched in their seats. Amethyst looked at her phone, looking miserable, before she sat upright.

"Y'know... We could just leave."

Steven got up, too, sighing heavily as he drank the rest of his water.

"Yeah. This movie sucks anyways."

"Language, Stevie."

"Ok then, this movie blo-"

He paused before he could finish.

"...Did you just call me Stevie?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Uh... Never mind."

Steven walked down the steps, thinking about her seemingly normal comment.

_Only mom and Connie call me that,_ he thought.

Then he turned towards where the man who stared at him was. His seat was empty, his friend was snoring. He exited the screening, Amethyst right behind him, when the man in the tan shirt popped out of the bathroom in front of them. The two stopped as the tall man stared down at Steven.

"Hey," the man's deep voice said, "you two totally ruined my movie theater experience..."

He smiled.

"Thank you! Hahah, gotcha! I should ask you to come with me whenever I go see some piece of sh-"

"Yeah, right," Amethyst said as she grabbed Steven by the hand and gently pushed the tall man out of her way. "It was nice meeting you too, creep."

\--

Steven was up in his bedroom, laying in his bed, turned away from the door when he heard a knock.

"Steven? Can I come in?"

It was Amethyst. As much as Steven wanted to refuse her, he couldn't say no to someone who treats him so well.

"Okay..."

Amethyst entered his room, shutting the door behind her. Steven was under his covers; Amethyst joined him, a sweeping feeling of cold replaced by the warmth of Amethyst's body.

"Steven? About what I said back at the theater, I love you. I know your mom does. And I know Connie does too."

Steven's eyes sprung open.

"What do you know about Connie?"

"Steven, could you come look at me for a second?"

Steven turned around and immediately saw her big, beautiful naked body in front of him. She softly grabbed his cheek, smiling as the boy just gave her a frozen stare.

"I know she does stuff with you, Steven. Because she sends me the photos once she gets done. Who do you think they're for, silly?"

Steven's pupils shrank. Amethyst held him tight, rubbing his back as she began to undress him.

"Steven, do you know what sex is?"

"Uh... N- no, I don't."

"Your mother was right. She's been teaching you all wrong."

"What're you doing?"

"Just lift your arms for me, Stevie. I'm just gonna teach you some things."

Steven felt like he had no choice. He lifted his arms and allowed Amethyst to remove his shirt before she undressed the rest of him. Soon, they were both totally naked under the covers. Amethyst's smile was as warm and friendly as ever.

"Don't be scared, Stevie. I'm just here to teach you about some parts we have. So..."

She pointed between his legs.

"You know what those things are called?"

Steven blushed as he covered his crotch with his hands.

"No..."

"That stick looking thing is called your penis," Amethyst whispered into Steven's ear. "And that sack thing is your scrotum. But sometimes, older people who love each other call the penis a "cock", or a "dick". And they call the scrotum the "balls" or "nuts"."

Steven couldn't help but giggle at these unfamiliar, yet silly sounding terms - though it did nothing to ease his distress.

"Yeah, those words sound funny," Amethyst continued, "but they get more normal the more you hear them. Now..."

She spread her legs.

"Come down here."

Anxious, Steven didn't want to disobey family, so he crawled down the bed and looked at her groin.

"Hey... There's nothing there."

"Heehee... Look again."

Steven could see it much more clearly now. Her entrance was glistening with fluids, giving Steven a brief memory of something similar his mother did with him. He backed up, then went back towards the front of the bed.

"I think I get it now, Amethyst," he said, worry in his tone.

"Are you scared, Stevie? It's just my vagina. But you can call it my "pussy", or my "cunt"."

She held up the orbs in front of her chest.

"And these are my breasts, but you can call 'em my tits!"

Steven wasn't laughing this time. He was already reliving a memory of his mother. Her crotch in his mouth. Her bittersweet taste. Her shouts for more. He could barely concentrate on what Amethyst was doing. Then she pulled him towards his belly, his boyhood prodding at her vaginal entrance. His eyes widened.

"Huh? I... What's...?"

"You didn't hear me? That's alright. I'll explain again. Sometimes people have sex through the butt, and that's called "anal sex", but we're gonna try sex through the vagina, or "sexual intercourse"."

"Wait... We're gonna... have sex?"

"Yup. Not for too long, though. Your mom's gonna get done with dinner soon enough. It'll be short and sweet, Stevie. I promise."

The young half-Gem was scared of having sex, yet there was something... different this time. It wasn't his strange mother, or his frankly scary girlfriend, but instead a family friend who he had many a good time with. She wasn't forceful, or controlling, and she walked him through every step so far. Steven thought about it for a while longer as Amethyst rubbed his back.

"We don't have to if you don't want to, sweetheart."

Now Steven felt like he had to out of courtesy.

"Uh, I... I wanna try it. With you."

Amethyst smiled, giving Steven a pat on the back.

"Go ahead."

Anxiously, Steven put his hands on Amethyst's thick hips, positioned himself, and thrust forward when-

"OOF! Augh, sugar cookies..."

He accidentally bonked the head of his penis, jamming it just to the side of her entrance. Amethyst gasped, holding back a laugh as Steven blushed, holding his privates like a younger child would hold a scrape.

"Owie..."

Now his desire to have sex was gone, replaced with the discomfort of jamming his junk on her skin. Amethyst sat up and removed the covers, exposing the two to open air, as she leaned down over his crotch. She gave his penis a quick kiss, then got up and walked out.

"I kissed it, that'll make it feel better~" she said as she closed the door behind her, leaving a bewildered and disturbed Steven by himself to redress. He was feeling a tad sick, as he normally did after doing something with his privates, but he didn't feel _completely_ crushed like he would after something with his mother or Connie. He got dressed as quick as he could, feeling something strange creeping up on him as he headed downstairs.

\--

Steven stared at his plate, still full of food. He twirled his fork in his fingers before taking a bite of the night's dinner. It wasn't bad, he just didn't have much of an appetite tonight.

"Stevie?" Pink asked. "You're not eating again. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, mom."

He took another bite. A strange, familiar sadness began to drain his energy. He set his fork down, knowing that he wouldn't take another bite.

"I'm not very hungry tonight, mom. Sorry."

Pearl leaned over to look at him.

"Oh, you don't want some of mine? Your mother made some for me on accident. I didn't even touch it. You can have that-"

"Nah," Steven replied, "it's alright... I think I'll head to bed. Love ya, mom."

Pink smiled at her son.

"I love you too, sweetie."

Steven got out of his chair and put his dishes away before heading back up into his room. The group soon heard his door shut for the night; Pearl dreamily sighed.

"Anyone else thinks it's _adorable_ when he stuffs his cute, little face with food?"

The table was dead silent.

"No," Peridot flatly answered after several uncomfortable seconds.

"It sounds like someone has _another_ kink," Lapis snidely remarked. "Is this bigger or smaller than your foot kink?"

"Oh, shut up," Pearl spoke back, a light blush forming on her face.

"Not like you ever do after asking for a bazillion pictures of Steven's _'cute widdle feets'_," Lapis replied in a mocking tone.

**"Gems, stop it!"**

The table focused on Pink, her booming voice making them tremble.

"You're all equally important to Steven, and therefore, equally important to me. You shouldn't be wasting time with silly arguments when our plan is going so well."

The rest bowed their heads solemnly. Pink's loving smile returned.

"I'm glad we settled this so easily. Now, is everyone finished with dinner?"


	5. Chapter 5: Proper Teachings

_ **\--Three weeks ago--** _

Garnet didn't expect her destination to be so... simple. Humble. Modest. She stepped from her ship and onto the rich soil, looking for-

** _"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"_ **

A booming feminine voice caught her attention.

"MOVE YOUR SHIP, **IMBECILE!** YOU'RE SPOILING THE CROPS!"

Garnet didn't know that she had landed in the middle of a field of crops. Quickly, she ran back into her ship and got it off-ground. It took another minute or two of seaching, but she found the port soon enough. There wasn't much space, which was to be expected, given how out of the way the commune - let alone the planet - was. Landing her ship, she got out to be greeted by a very angry looking white Gem.

"Do you know how long it took us to make that patch viable!? Now we have to wait for next season to use it without the produce tasting like starship exhaust! Thank you _so much_!"

"Sorry, but-"

The gem continued to yell at her, but Garnet was unfazed and kept eye contact while she reached into her bag to pull out a portfolio. The gem stopped rambling about Garnet's parking and went on about the impression Garnet was giving.

"You're not from the tribunal, are you? We gave you our contributions on time, and-"

"Miss? My name is Garnet, and I'm an independent investigator."

The white gem raised an eyebrow at her.

"Garnet? Wait, I thought you were that fusion gem who went into therapy?"

"Well, yes, but I decided to have a career change."

"Alright, so what're you doing here? We're just a small farming community-"

"Miss? I don't mean to be rude, but we all know you're White Diamond. I just want to talk with you."

White sighed heavily.

"Dammit. Even ten years isn't enough for people to forget my face."

-

"I can't believe the great and powerful White Diamond lives here now."

Garnet entered the simple hut, a hut that only had a bed, a table with chairs, and some hygenic equipment that had obviously been imported due to how out-of-place it looked. White sat at the table, crossing her legs.

"So... What do you want to know?"

Garnet took the other seat, pulling a pen, notebook, and portfolio from her bag.

"I wanted to ask you about your time as a member of the Diamond Authority, during the time between fifty years ago and the Authority's dissolution."

White scoffed.

"Are you joking? Just read any history book made within the last ten years, and-"

"Miss, I'm here to talk about some... concerning rumors and stories I've been hearing about things that happened under your rule."

White's eyes widened. She became speechless. Garnet continued the pressure, speaking softly.

"As a therapist, I focused mostly on all the problems I saw with adolescent and adult male-presenting gems. And they all showed consistent signs of long-term abuse."

White twiddled her thumbs, and her eyes darted across the room, seemingly afraid of making contact with Garnet's sunglasses.

"So," Garnet continued, "I'll be very straight with you. Was there a... Let's say, a _ring_ of abuse in the Authority?"

"Yes," White said, a touch of fear and shame in her voice. "But I didn't know how bad it was until I saw it for myself. I know I can't make up for it, but the least I can do is spend my remaining days outside of functioning societies and... allow for my face to fade from memory."

"Miss, I need you to stay on topic. This 'ring', was it a personal circle between you and-"

"No," White interrupted, beginning to cry. "It was an unwritten rule across the whole empire..."

Garnet got to writing as White sobbed, her confession too much for her to bear.

"Male presenting gems became more uncommon during the last few decades of the empire, and me and the other Diamonds were... different back then. So we decided that... That we..."

White pushed her face into her open hands and began crying. Garnet got up from her seat and gave White a tender, comforting back rub and pat on the shoulder.

"You're alright now, miss. Just keep going. Tell me all you can."

"O- okay... So... We instituted a rule... Boy presenting gems aged 6 or older had to be rounded up..."

White trailed off into another sob.

"They were just little boys! A six year old isn't doing anything to anyone!"

"Miss, please, I know it's hard, but I need you to focus."

"I... _*sniff*_ alright..."

The interview continued for another forty minutes, Garnet frantically writing every detail she could about what White was telling her. About what specific abuses she saw, about the abuses White herself committed, about the extent she and at least one other Diamond would go to keep the ring from being blown open, and her overwhelming sense of guilt and shame as the years went on.

"I wanted to do something about it, but by the time I got the courage, Pink forced the Universe Concordat through... And in a few days, every den and hideout I knew of was swept clean! I wanted to save everyone. I wanted to show the people what we did, but I was just **too damn cowardly to-**"

Garnet interrupted White by pulling out a stuffed animal from her bag and forcing it into White's hands. White was confused for a moment, but she closed her eyes and hugged the toy like a child in the dark. She slowly gained enough composure to speak again.

"...I'm really sorry that I couldn't tell you much, but the other Diamonds kept so much hidden from me that-"

"What? They kept things from you despite how heavily involved you were with the ring? Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes! I swear, I'm not lying! I'll tell the truth to anyone who asks, I've told you enough for the other Diamonds to kill you where you sit! I swear on Greg Universe's grave that I didn't know how much the other Diamonds were involved, I don't know how long it went on for, I don't know... I don't..."

White broke down in tears once more. Garnet finished filling another page of notes. She felt like she got all she could, but she double checked her 'rumor' page to find one question unasked.

"One more question, Miss, and I'll be done. I saw a record indication some young gems escaping custody. One of them was rumored to be your servant. Is this true?"

White's tears suddenly paused. Her expression became melancholy.

"His name was Schranz," she said, a deadly serious tone in her shaky voice, "and this interview is over. Now get out."

Garnet packed up her things and headed towards the door.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Diamond. You can keep the stuffed animal."

"...Thanks..."

Garnet returned to her ship and soon left the planet altogether, setting a course back to Earth as she reflected on the Authority's vile crimes, relayed to her by a former leader.

_If what she told me is true, and if the other Diamonds were involved, then... Steven's in danger. I need to get things going, fast. First, I'll need her help..._

_ **\--Present day--** _

Steven woke up feeling slimy. He didn't want to get out of bed. He snuggled up under his blanket and flipped his pillow, wanting to go back to sleep. Then he saw his phone on his bedside dresser - and the LED was blinking. He grabbed his phone and turned it on to see over twenty messages from an unknown number. Cautious, he clicked the number to find that it wasn't over twenty - there were over two hundred texts from this number, all of them asking to text back until he got to the top.

_"Hello,"_ the text read, _"I'm Blue Diamond. Do you remember me? One of your friends gave me your phone number! Now I can contact you more directly. Your friend told me 'HMU' is slang for 'hit me up', which means 'call or text me back'? HMU when you get the chance! :)"_

Steven felt a pit in his stomach. That was the gem who tried to touch him two weeks ago. Then a few more messages popped up.

_'hmu please sweetheart i need you now' 'why are you ignoring me?' 'do you hate me? :(' 'i'm sorry for being so terrible...'_

Steven didn't want to text back, he had a bad feeling about even looking at all these texts. But he was a good kid. He didn't want to just leave someone who apparently needed him. Nervous, he typed out a reply.

_'hello? sorry, i was sleeping... I don't hate you'_

_It wasn't even a few seconds until he got a reply. _

_'oh thank you so much!! I was getting so scared for you!'_

_'okay... You said you needed me?'_

_'yes, I need you, Steven! I need you by my side, I've been so depressed lately that my usual coping tactics aren't working... I have a Steven Quartz Universe shaped hole in my heart!'_

Steven was, frankly, a bit disturbed at Blue's reasoning.

_'you texted me a hundred times because you wanted to talk to me?'_

_'well yes! I would teleport down to you but your mother said not to until your training was done.'_

_'training?'_

_'yes, training! Because you're going to play a big part in the future of the galaxy! You, me, and all your little friends :)'_

Now Steven was curious, despite his feelings of disgust and anxiety. He wanted to ask more, but then he received another text.

_'now, picture time! I'll show you mine!'_

He recieved several photos, all of Blue Diamond completely naked and in various positions. In all of them, she was seductively looking at the camera, a warm smile on her normally melancholy face, contrasting with the photos Steven could hardly comprehend. Closeup shots of what Amethyst would call her 'pussy' and 'tits'. Shots of her spreading her legs, laying on her side, on all fours. Obviously shot with professional equipment, not with the camera on a phone. Steven immediately turned his phone off and got back under his covers, wanting to go back to sleep.

"Hey, Steven? Look who I've brought with me!"

Amethyst opened the door to Steven's room. Steven shuffled around in bed.

"I wanna go back to sleep, I'm too tired to do stuff today..."

"Oh, don't say that, Stevie. I brought along a friend that wants to learn about sex as much as you!"

Steven sat up to see Peridot with Amethyst, the peppy gem waving at him, looking excited.

"Hello, Steven! Amethyst showed me some pictures of human mating rituals, and she said I could try some out with you!"

Steven raised an eyebrow, almost having to contort his tired face.

"Human mating rituals?"

Peridot then began stripping her clothes off, jolting Steven awake.

"Woah, woah, woah! Slow down!"

"Sorry, I'm just so excited! I've never mated before, especially not with a human!"

Amethyst followed suit, stripping down in front of the young boy, keeping an eye on Steven's phone.

"I think the president of the Steven Q. Universe fan club finally got his number."

"Hey, wait!"

Amethyst grabbed Steven's phone and tapped on Blue Diamond's messages, smiling.

"She's gonna LOVE this."

"What're you doing!?"

Before Steven could get an answer, Peridot got on his bed and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's how humans kiss, right?"

"Uh, yeah, but-"

Then Peridot reached into his pants. She pulled them down along with his undies. Steven blushed intensely as Peri's wet 'pussy' grazed against his immature penis. She looked euphoric.

"Hah, alright, now, uh... What am I supposed to do next? Is there something that locks him inside me, or...?"

Amethyst was holding Steven's phone, taking pictures all the while.

"Let's have Steven take things from here. Okay, Stevie?"

Steven was too uncomfortable to say much of anything. Amethyst took his stunned silence as a yes.

"Okay, Steven, remember what we did last night? Now, slowly glide your dick inside Peridot's pussy. Press yourself inside her gently."

Unsure of what to do despite the instructions, Steven decided to start by getting a hold of her. Without the time or energy to think clearly, he grabbed Peridot's backside and squeezed it, making the gem squeal in pleasure.

"You're so naughty, Steven! Your mom taught you real well!"

"Uh-! Sorry! I'm real sorry about that!"

"No need," Amethyst said. "Just put it in!"

"Uh... Okay, I'll try..."

His hands gripping Peri's backside, he slowly pushed his 'dick' against the gem's 'pussy'. He sharply breathed in from the nerve-wracking sensation of Peri's wet, warm womanhood. Then he pushed inside.

"Hngh-... P- Peridooot..."

Steven's pubescent boyhood was hit by an overstimulating wave of raw pleasure. He rubbed Peri's backside frantically, pushing inside her once more, making the gem moan out loud.

"Oh, Steveeen! You're... gonna make me-!"

Peri ground her crotch against Steven's before a slimy fluid squirted from her privates and all over Steven's chubby belly. She panted like an animal, her tongue sticking out, her voice shaking.

"Y- you made m- me... squiiirt..."

She collapsed over Steven, then excitedly looked at him.

"Did you cum too?"

She got off of him only to be disappointed - none of the telltale signs of a big finish were there.

"Awww... I thought that would make you cum!"

Amethyst giggled as she gave Peri a pat on the back.

"You're so silly. You have to work harder than that to make a boy cum, Peri!"

"I do?"

She looked genuinely confused at the idea that it took more than simple stimulation to make a boy 'cum'. Then, she went right back to humping Steven's little penis.

"But I want you to cum inside me, like you came inside your mom and that other gi-"

"Shh, shh, Peri, don't talk about them right now," Amethyst spoke in a hushed tone. "This is about you and me right now. I'd like you to get off of Steven."

"What? Aww, really?"

"Don't worry, it'll only be for a few moments."

"Awww..."

Peridot climbed off of the bed, allowing Steven some breathing room. He could hear Amethyst whispering something to Peri, Peri giving nods and "uh-huh"s back. He sat up on the side of the bed, feeling spent and used before the two gems turned to face him. Amethyst gave Steven a big, beaming grin.

"Alright, Stevie, we're gonna try a sexual position. Just sit like that and Peri will do her thing."

Steven watched as Peridot sat down facing him, his privates poised to penetrate her. The two looked into each others eyes as Peri wrapped her arms and legs around him. Then, she pushed down on him, Steven exhaling hard as he entered her once more. He felt Peri's smooth hands in his hair, the gentle touch of her bare, soft skin against his.

"Now it's your turn, Stevie," Amethyst said from behind the pair. "**Fuck her. Fuck Peri's virgin cunt.**"

The young boy pushed inside Peridot again, his member hardening from being coated with Peri's warm and sticky fluids. He gripped her backside again as he pumped his 'dick' inside her 'virgin cunt', getting overstimulated again, hyperventilating while he bounced her up and down. He squeaked and panted, getting into a rhythm; Peri was moaning loudly and uncontrollably. Steven felt something rising inside him, and it was rising quickly. In moments, he felt that something burst out from inside him, thrusting as hard as he could into Peri's 'cunt' as he sensed something squirting from him.

"I- I'm squirting!!"

Three quick splurts inside Peri, and he swiftly laid back, exhausted. Peri laid on top of him, the two sharing breathing space. Steven swore he felt a finger swiping against his privates, then a licking noise, but he couldn't focus on much after such an explosive sensation. He could barely even think. He didn't even know how to process he had just experienced, despite his mother and Connie making him do it time and again.

"Congratulations, Steven," said Amethyst as she laid beside him, holding his hand. "You just had an orgasm. You came inside Peridot."

"I... I dunno what that means," Steven replied, in a daze.

"Heehee, I'll teach you what I mean once we clean up. But for now, you're doing real good for a boy who doesn't even have a gem. And you gave Blue so many cute and wonderful photos, too!"

She checked Steven's phone once more, giggling like a schoolgirl.

"Hey, Peri, she said she wishes she was you!"

The two laughed as Steven closed his eyes, still reeling from the mindblowing orgasm Peri gave him.

_So that's... What mom means... When she says to finish inside her..._

_ **\--Later that day--** _

Steven was eating his daily snack on the couch, texting with Blue Diamond.

_'i'm eating rn, can u wait a minute plz'_

_'sorry I just get so worried when you don't text back! I love you so much that I can't stand being away from you!'_

_'i know, u said that 20 times' _

_'i wish u were here with me, my sweet <3 we would do so much together'_

_'like what?'_

_'we could rule the universe together~'_

_'the diamond empire doesn't exist anymore'_

_'then we can rebuild it :)'_

_'you and a ten year old? Everyone's gonna love that and definitely not think it's creepy'_

_'who cares what the haters think? age is just a number, my sweet Steven Universe <3'_

_'sure. brb' _

Steven put his phone down and finished up his snack, heading into the kitchen and tossing it in the trash.

"Steven? Mom's home!"

"Hey, mom!"

Pink Diamond walked in, stretching her arms after a long day of work.

"So, I heard from Peridot that you... _got busy_ with her?"

Steven stopped where he stood, his eyes wide open.

"Uh... Yeah... We kinda did..."

Pink walked over to him, crouching down. Steven closed his eyes shut, waiting for a shout or a pinch. Instead, he got a kiss. Right on the mouth. And it continued for several seconds, his mother dragging him to the floor as she locked her lips with his, her tongue invading his mouth. In a way, it was much worse than any spanking or form of corporal punishment. Then Pink pulled away, spit trailing from her lips as the two laid on the floor.

"Steven... You're doing so good with the Crystal Gems. It makes me want to tear your clothes off and ff_fuck_ you right here. But I can't. I need to be patient... Who else, there's Lapis, and then Pearl..."

Face to face with her son, she gazed into his eyes with hopeful desperation.

"Then, please, _promise me_ that you'll fuck me before any of the other Diamonds. Please?"

Steven looked at his mother like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I... I promise..."

"Thank you, Stevie..."

His mother hugged him tightly, nuzzling her face against his cheek, Steven sensing the lust in her heavy breathing.

"Right now," she softly spoke, "mommy needs all the love you can give her. Mommy had a really bad day at the office..."

Pink went in for another drawn-out mouth kiss that Steven had no choice to accept. Breathing through his nose, his mother relentlessly snogged him like a long lost lover, Steven going through the motions like so many times beforehand, as they made out on the cold hard kitchen floor.


	6. Chapter 6: Lapis

_ **\--Three days later--** _

_'Steven? Why are you ignoring me?'_

_'hi connie! sorry! i was too busy doing stuff with am and peri'_

_'You haven't responded to my texts in days.'_

_'i know, i'm sorry'_

_'Why didn't you text back sooner? You could have at least said something.'_

_'i'm rly sorry, it came up out of nowhere and i kinda forgot'_

_'How could you forget about me? :('_

_'i didn't forget you! :) i just forgot to text you'_

_'You sound like you're making excuses again, you know how much I don't like that :('_

_'connie please don't be mad :( i'm texting you right now, that makes up for me not texting you earlier, right? i luv u'_

Steven didn't get a reply. He sighed in discontent, putting his phone back in his pocket and laying on the lounge couch, a broken-hearted frown on his face.

_She probably hates me now... She was right. I should have texted her something... I shouldn't have just left her hanging before all the training with Am and Peri..._

The past three days had exhausted Steven. Amethyst and Peridot had been 'training' with him so much that he barely even had time to check his phone. But today was different. Today, Am and Peri were out with Pink. Am told him they were going to Homeworld to tell the other Diamonds about his training. So, for the first time in quite a while, Steven was home alone.

And yet, he didn't want to do anything aside from lay on the couch.

He didn't want to watch TV. He didn't want to have all the snacks his heart desired. He didn't want to play video games. He just wanted to lay on the middle of the couch, wondering when his mother and the other Gems would come home, how they would talk about him to the Diamonds, and what they'd do once he got home.

_They probably think I'm terrible at training. They all hate me because of how bad I've been doing, and they'll make me do more training once they get home... Maybe that Blue lady will be with them, and if I don't make her happy, she'll-_

** _*ding-dong!*_ **

Steven didn't budge when he heard the doorbell, although he did temporarily stop the negative spiral of his thoughts.

"Come in..."

"Hey, babe. Remember me?"

"...Lapis?"

She closed the door and sat beside Steven's head on the couch.

"Sure is."

She ran a hand through Steven's hair, making him shiver as her soft, yet slightly cold touch grazed his scalp.

"Steven? I wanna f... _train with you_."

Steven's heart went into his gut.

"You too?" he asked with a worried whimper.

"Yeah. How could I not when Amethyst keeps sending us all those spicy pics?"

Steven sat up, his heart pumping, anxiety almost coursing through his arteries.

"She sent you those pictures, too!?"

"Yup. And Connie, and Pearl, and your mom, and Yellow... And a few _select others._"

"Wha...? Why?"

Lapis smirked, looking almost confident as she placed a hand on Steven's lap.

"Because us Gems want our only male Diamond to prove himself."

Her revelation would have stunned Steven, had he not felt so confused.

"Wha-!? I'm not a Diamond! I'm a human!"

"You're a human now. But you'll be a Diamond soon enough. And when you are, you'll be... Heheh, here's a good one - you'll be the _crown jewel_ of the Authority. Get it? Crown jewel?"

Lapis chuckled to herself as Steven sat in silence, thinking out what Lapis revealed.

"But... The Empire's gone... And humans can't just become Gems. That's physically impossible."

Lapis put an arm around him and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Oh, how little you know."

Then, Steven saw Lapis' other hand pulling something down.

"What're you doing?" he asked, his eyes widening, unwilling to accept the obvious.

"What's it look like," she replied. "We're gonna fuck. Did Amethyst teach you that word yet, or is she as soft as your mommy?"

Lapis stripped down in front of him, revealing a very pretty and slim body. Steven felt like he didn't have a choice. Instead of waiting for Lapis to do it to him, he sighed and took his clothes off, tossing his shirt to the side of the couch and lifting his legs after his pants and undergarments coiled around his ankles.

"Alright," he said, a defeated tone in his voice. "Might as well..."

"Ooh, Steven... You're stripping down just for me? Who said you had to do that?"

"Huh?... Uh, no one, I just felt that... You know..."

"Heheh, yes, I _do_ know. Taking big boy steps today, aren't we?"

Lapis laid on her side, revealing herself to the young human. A wave of uncertainty and nervousness washing over him, Steven prodded Lapis' womanhood before lightly spreading it.

"Uh... I'm sorry, uh... Is this ok? Amethyst taught me this, and-"

"Aw, and I was getting so excited to hear that you taking another big boy step... Yes, it's fine," she spoke with a disappointed sigh. A touch of sweat tracing down his forehead, Steven inserted a finger inside Lapis, making the gem stifle a giggle.

"St- Steven!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "Stop with the foreplay and _fuck me already_!"

"Uh.... Alright, I... Here goes, I guess..."

On his knees, he grabbed his hardening penis and guided it towards Lapis' entrance. His tip made contact with her soft, blue lips, making him shiver and sigh as the tension tingled up his spine. Lapis looked down, her expression one of impatience.

"C'mon, put it in already!!"

The human then thrust hard inside her, making her grunt while her expression changed to one of pleasure.

"Ooh, nice... Now, what're you waiting for? Want me to hold your hand? FUCK ME!"

"I-! Okay!"

Steven then pumped inside her, his privates slapping up against her inner thigh as he rammed her. He went fast, and with no sense of rhythm. Not that Lapis looked like she cared. She fondled one of her breasts as the young boy rammed her, her insides getting increasingly moist with each thrust. However, Steven's newfound energy quickly wore off as his breaths became more shallow, and his pumps slower and weaker. Soon he was flaccid as ever as he stopped fucking her. Lapis looked back, looking a bit angry with him.

"Oh, come on... You didn't even cum. Is this how you treat Am and Peri? Is this what they've been going crazy about the past few days? If it is, you aren't fit to be a Diamond at all. And all the work of your mom, and Connie, and Amethyst, all that's gone to waste if you can't even pleasure me..."

"Wha...? No, I... I'm sorry, but-"

"Wanna tell me you're sorry?"

She lifted a leg as she bared her wet 'pussy'.

"Then you know how!"

Steven took a few seconds to catch his breath, then began rubbing his penis against her, gaining some of his erection back. He wiped some sweat from his forehead before deciding to go back in.

"Ok, Lapis, I'm gonna do better this time... I promise..."

He slid back inside Lapis' awaiting 'pussy', although Lapis didn't look as ecstatic as she did the first time.

"You'd better keep up to your promise. I wonder what your mom would say if you didn't..."

The less-than-veiled threat was enough to keep Steven docile, and his rhythm steady. Keeping his pace, he fucked Lapis as slowly - and yet as firmly - as Amethyst had trained him to with her. His knees were getting sore from being in the same spot on the couch for so long, which was cutting into his arousal, but he couldn't focus on it or else Lapis would be unhappy again. He adjusted his knees before going in hard, his member becoming coated in fluids, Lapis looking less and less disappointed as time passed.

Gradually, Steven increased his pace, his internal heat soaring, his breathing getting faster. Lapis began to moan, quietly, prodding her nipples as Steven 'fucked' her as hard and as fast as before. But this time, Steven was ready. He whined and seethed from the exertion, closing his eyes as he pushed inside her as hard as he could. He could feel it coming. Just one more push, he thought.

"Nngh... I... I'm cumming!!"

Steven hugged Lapis' leg as he pumped into her, feeling an intense rush as he came inside her. Panting, Lapis laid her head on the end of the couch, sensing a few spurts of 'cum' painting her insides. As quickly as it started, Steven collapsed over Lapis, completely exhausted. He moaned out loud as he felt his seed drip from her. The pair were breathing heavily, staying stationary until Lapis rubbed Steven's head. She smiled at him.

"Not bad for a human. You didn't make me cum, but oh well... I know who I'll be thinking of next time I use my vibrator."

Steven had no idea what Lapis was saying. But she was smiling, and she wasn't threatening him, so it must have been a good thing. His head on Lapis' belly, he was about to rest his eyes when the door opened.

"Steven?"

"C- Connie!!"

Although exhausted, Steven sat upright and reached for his pants as quick as he could, covering his crotch with them in a futile attempt to shield himself.

"I- I'm real sorry! I didn't wanna make you mad!"

"What?... I'm not mad at you, Stevie."

Connie had a smile on her face as she sat down beside him, tossing his pants back down on the floor. She gave him a giggle and a peck on the cheek.

"Don't act like I've never seen you naked before, sweetie... I just came over to say I'm sorry."

"...Huh? But it's my fault that I-"

"No, I shouldn't have blown up at you like that," Connie said as she softly rubbed his bare back. "I know you've been real busy with the other Crystal Gems, I should have thought a little more before I... You know."

She kissed Steven on the lips, face to face with him, making eye contact. Then she spoke again.

"I just love you so much, Steven... I don't wanna lose the only boy who's loved me as wonderfully and as specially as you do!"

Lapis sat up and began to put her clothes back on as Connie hugged Steven.

"Aww," Lapis remarked, "isn't that heartwarming."

"Don't listen to her," Connie whispered in Steven's ear. "She loves being a butthead."

Connie's hand moved from Steven's back reached a bit... lower. He winced as she tightly gripped his backside.

"Anyways, Steven? I was outside your house, and look who I found before I came in?"

She looked over at the front door.

"Hey, girls!"

The front door swung open as Pink, Amethyst, and Peridot entered and all took up space on the couch, little Steven almost surrounded. Pink sat at his side, Amethyst on the floor between his legs, and Peri on the edge of the couch next to Lapis. Pink patted her son's legs and gave him a big, warm smile.

"Steven? The other Diamonds heard us report on your training, and... Wanna know what they said?"

Lapis grew a mischievous smirk.

"I already told him what you're training him for."

All the others groaned.

"LAPIS!" they all shouted in annoyance as Lapis cracked up with laughter. Pink sighed as she hugged Steven tight, his face between her plump motherly breasts.

"Yes, Lapis is right. You're going to be the first male Diamond, of the new Diamond Authority, blah blah blah... Thank you for spoiling him, Lapis!"

"No problem," Lapis heckled back with a chuckle. Pink rolled her eyes.

"So, I'm going to make an educated guess... You trained with Lapis too?"

"Y- yeah..." said Steven, his soft, quiet tone contrasting with the rest of them.

"And how was it?" Amethyst asked, inquisitive. "Did you remember our training?"

"I, uh... Well, not at first, but..."

"Buuut...?"

Amethyst turned around, her pretty face and heavy rack obscuring Steven's view of his lower legs. He looked around, sweating as the whole collection of girls surrounded him, staring at him with hopeful intent.

"I, uh... I remembered my training, but... I didn't make Lapis... 'cum'. I'm sorry..."

The others looked at him, indifferent.

"And?" asked Connie. "That was it?"

"Didja spread her like I told?" asked Amethyst.

"Didja try out one of our fun positions?" asked Peridot.

"And you came, didn't you?... Well..."

Amethyst took a finger and ran it across the entrance to Steven's penis. She licked it.

"...Of course you did."

The others erupted into laughter. Pink nuzzled her face against Steven's like a mama cat and her cubs.

"Don't answer, I think I can tell what you're gonna say. Yes to all three, right?"

"Uh..." Steven trailed off as he shifted his gaze towards Lapis. "Yeah, but-"

"Sweetheart," Pink interrupted, "that's all that matters. Now, once you become our Diamond, we can take care of your little issue with the snap of our fingers. But until then, you're learning from our training just like I'd hoped."

Steven received a warm hug and a long mouth kiss from his mother, making his face turn as red as a tomato. Pink pulled away, a big beaming grin on her face.

"You're doing great, sweetie. And with us you're gonna go far - and I'm not just talking about exploration."


	7. Chapter 7: Her Fetish

** _\--Ten days after White Diamond's interview--_ **

The blonde human slumped in his seat and placed a peg on his board.

"You sunk my destroyer."

Jasper's irate expression didn't change. The arguing in the other room was still going on.

"Assholes have been bitching back and forth for, what, five days? They keep it up, the Loyalists are gonna take everything but this ship."

"C-9."

"Grr..."

Looking annoyed, Jasper placed a peg on one of her ships.

"You got my frigate."

The door slammed open.

"I swear, you're so hard to work with!" Garnet yelled as she stormed from the adjacent room.

_Here we go_, Jasper thought as she rolled her eyes, listening in on the heated argument between the two Gems.

"Well, excuse me for needing every bit of gempower I have to root out the remnants of the Authority," Bismuth replied as she stomped towards Garnet. "It's not like they've been ramping themselves up the past month!"

"Come on, I just need a few gems as a security detail in case something goes south!"

"I've told you already, we're stretched too thin for anyone to be out of place!"

"That just tells me how well organized and equipped your forces are!"

Jasper slammed her fist on the table and stood up.

"Alright. What the fuck's the problem?"

Bismuth and Garnet held their tongues as they each looked angrily at Jasper. Bismuth crossed her arms and looked away.

"Ask her."

Garnet sighed as she stared straight at Jasper.

"I followed a lead to White Diamond. And our _good friend_ here is not only mad that I didn't just arrest White and take her back here to be tortured or executed like I _know_ she wants to do, but I also want to take Pink Diamond's kid away based on what White herself told me."

Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"You wanna steal Pink Diamond's kid? Isn't he, like, ten? Why?"

"Because he's in danger. White confirmed that there was a sort of sex trafficking ring under the Diamond Authority, and-"

"Because the Diamonds have no reason to bullshit you," Bismuth replied, more than a tinge of anger in her snark.

"Tell why would she lie about something she went into explicit detail about and showed plenty of sincere regret over," Garnet started before Jasper interjected.

"Hey, Bismuth, maybe piss off for a good five fucking seconds!"

Bismuth groaned and trudged back into her room, slamming the door shut. Jasper sat back down at the table.

"Continue," she said. Garnet released an exasperated sigh.

"So... I want to take Pink Diamond's kid from her because I think she - and maybe a few others - are sexually abusing him."

"...Wow. That's a pretty heavy allegation."

"I can prove it. I have two degrees in childhood psychology, and both of them tell me that Steven's exhibiting all the visible signs of sexual abuse. He's extremely nervous around Pink as well as the only friend he tells me he has from school. He tells me himself he doesn't socialize with other kids and only talks with his girlfriend-"

"So, he's socially awkward. That means you're gonna steal him from his mom?"

"No! I'm just saying I know child sexual abuse when I see it, because I've seen it in dozens and dozens of Gems!"

Jasper crossed her arms.

"I'm gonna steal an expression from our human buddy here. I think you've got a needle in one hand and a helluva lot of hay in the other."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're jumping to false conclusions after finding out something true. You're taking what White told you and projecting it onto Steven because you wanna be his savior."

Garnet groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Fine then. I'm going back to Earth myself. You'll all hear from him yourselves!"

Garnet left the room, and in a few minutes Jasper saw her ship depart from theirs. Bismuth came out of her room, sighing.

"She left, didn't she?"

Jasper and the human nodded as they went back to their game. Bismuth went to the head of the ship, comandeering it towards the next Loyalist-free system.

"It's not that I don't believe her," she thought aloud to the others. "I do. But she doesn't understand how hard the Loyalists have been hitting us recently. We had to bust our asses to defend the Sānuka communes. Lost a lot of good Gems in exchange for keeping the civvies safe..."

"You hear somethin'?" asked the human as Bismuth trailed off. 

"Nope," replied Jasper.

"E 7."

"Fffuck."

_ **\--Present day--** _

"Okay, Stevie. Time for kissing practice with your mother!"

Pink Diamond puckered up her lips in anticipation as she, her son, and Lapis sat on the side of his bed. Steven's eyes were heavy as he slowly moved in and pressed his lips against his mother's. He gave her a smooch that lasted for two seconds, then pulled back, his kiss indicative of nothing more than the love a boy has for his mother. Pink blushed as she turned her head away from him.

"Oh, Steven... Why? Why are you doing this again? I wanted this to be our first practice without Lapis."

"Sorry, mom..." Steven said, looking down, a look of sadness on his face. He felt a hand on his back.

"You know how to say sorry," Lapis whispered in his ear. "Kiss. Head. Tongue."

Steven's anxiety flared up as Pink got herself ready for another kiss. She puckered up again, as did Steven. He winced and stood on the tips of his toes, closing his eyes tight as he kissed his mother on the mouth, not breaking it after a few seconds as usual.

"Head," Lapis whispered to him. Steven reached his arm over to the back of Pink's head, his hand clutching her soft, short hair as he reluctantly pushed her head against his. Pink inhaled sharply in his face, her warm, minty breath the first thing Steven sensed that wasn't fear. "Tongue", Lapis said, a tad louder this time. Steven let out a whimper as he inched his tongue out of his mouth and into his mother's. Soon the pair's tongues collided before sitting on top of each other, Pink's dancing with his as he could only go through the motions.

His hands trembled, his legs wobbled. He didn't break his kiss out of fear of reprisal. His breathing got harder.

"Forgetting something, Steven?" Lapis asked, a devilish smile on her face. Steven whimpered once more as he held his mother tightly and had them flop on the bed, kissing Pink over and over again. Pink started to giggle between each kiss before she pulled back.

"Hahahah! Okay, okay, that's good enough, Stevie!"

Steven remained silent, feeling as if he had let her down earlier.

"I'm really sorry I forgot our kissing steps, mom..."

"That's ok, my little Gem," Pink warmly cooed. "That's why we practice so much."

Pink began to curl up with Steven on his bed, making Steven close his eyes again. He sensed Lapis follow suit. She seeemed innocent at first, but then she slowly rubbed her crotch against his backside.

"Hah... What a cute little family we are..."

Her rubbing became faster when there was a knock on the door.

"Hello? Sorry to interrupt!"

"You're fine," Pink responded. "Come in! We're just taking a rest."

The door to Steven's room opened up, and in slipped Pearl before she shut the door tight.

"Hello! Um... Steven? I looked at the training schedule for you, and... It's shower time!"

"Shower time?" Steven asked back. His eyes were wide open, and he sat upright. He normally hated showering, but these days, the shower was the one place he had where he could be alone and collect his thoughts. He got out of bed and walked towards his door when Pearl stood in front of him.

"Steven? I wanna shower with you."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because, uh..."

Pearl seemed nervous as she gave him a friendly grin.

"You'll see! Please?"

"Uh... I... kinda don't want you to..."

Pearl's smile quickly turned into a frown.

"Why not? I have something really special planned for you. And I'm saying please, too!"

"Uh..."

Steven's eyes darted away from Pearl, avoiding direct eye contact at all costs.

"I just like showering by myself..."

"That's no fun, Steven."

She took his hand, smiling again as she opened the door.

"C'mon, it'll be fun. You'll love it."

Now Steven had no choice as she began dragging him down to the bathroom, leaving Pink and Lapis by themselves. Lapis grinned confidently at Pink.

"Wanna bang?"

"No."

"Alright..."

-

Pearl shut the door behind them. She pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in the bath, grinning.

"C'mon in, Steven!"

Steven wrung his hands as he inched toward the shower, looking down.

"I... I've never showered with someone else before..."

"There's a first for everything!"

Steven stepped into the shower, his clothes still on. Pearl giggled as she kneeled next to him.

"You can't shower with your clothes still on, silly!"

"But I... I don't want to... t- take a shower with you here..."

"You're just nervous," Pearl said as she ran a hand down his back. "Relax for a few seconds..."

Steven looked away from Pearl as she undressed him, pulling his shirt up and tossing it on the bathroom floor. Then she pulled his pants and underwear down, making him shiver as he lifted his legs for her to properly discard them. And then the water began to run. He looked at Pearl, a confused look on his face, as she hadn't taken any of her clothes off.

"...You're not gonna-"

"Nope! I already showered yesterday. I can afford to skip a day! Besides, isn't it funny to watch someone shower with their clothes on?"

Pearl scooted up to his side, her clothes quickly becoming soaking wet as she observed the warm water running down Steven's young body. She seemed almost mesmerized by the sight of his wet body, her eyes tracing every drop of water that caught her interest. Steven stared back at her in confusion as he began to wash up, Pearl's intense gaze unshakable.

"Steven? You're really pretty. And I'm not just saying that because you're naked."

"Uh, thanks?"

"Remember the other day when you ate your food so fast you had a stomachache the day after?"

"Yeah, I remember," Steven said, knowing the food wasn't what caused his stomachache.

"Watching you eat up so much so fast made me feel a real big rush," Pearl continued. "It made me wanna feed you so much you wouldn't be able to move for weeks."

She rubbed Steven's chubby belly and gave his belly button a kiss.

"I've got what's called a _fetish_, Steven. It's a special turn on that people get under certain circumstances. For example, I have a fetish for watching you stuff your cute little face full of food..."

Pearl playfully tickled Steven's armpits, making him giggle despite his anticipation of something awful.

"I also like boy parts that are real stinky! I don't need to tell you which parts get the stinkiest..."

"St- sto-o-op," Steven said through ticklish laughter. "This is s- so we-e-eird!"

"Wanna know my _biggest_ fetish?"

She stopped tickling him and got on her hands and knees, her face right in front of Steven's feet.

"Your _cute, widdle feets!~_ Wanna sit down and lay back so I can show you how I... indulge my fetish?"

Steven didn't want to, but he soon figured his temporary discomfort was better than the guilt and shame of willfully displeasing family. He squatted down before laying back in the shower, his feet pointed up. Pearl's pupils expanded; her smile beamed with delight.

"So... adorable..."

She prodded her fingers against his feet, making him stifle a laugh. Then, Pearl looked like she had forgotten something.

"How do humans do it again?... Oh, yes!"

She grabbed a brush sitting in the corner of the bathtub and got to scrubbing Steven's feet. Steven had to work hard to suppress his ticklish laughter, his legs shifting as Pearl gave his feet a rough cleansing. He sensed his nerves tingle at the brush against his bare soles and between each of his tiny toes. A few minutes of gradually tougher scrubbing commenced, then as soon as he felt his feet getting sore, she stopped.

"Alright, they're all nice and clean now..."

She set the brush aside and held one of Steven's feet in her hands.

"Well... I've never done this before... Here goes nothing."

Steven watched as Pearl stuck her tongue out and gently licked his sole, the ticklish sensation of her moist, yet rough tongue traveling up his spine. She licked again, her tongue pressed harder against the bottom of his foot, making Steven's hands shake as a way of releasing pent-up energy without shaking his feet. Pearl lightly moaned as she continued to lick Steven's feet, her pace increasingly faster as he noticed one of her hands reach down out of his field of view. Soon enough, she was licking the underside of his foot like a lollipop, her little squeals and moans denoting her excitement and pleasure.

Then, unexpectedly, she fit her mouth over his toes, her tongue lapping at the grooves between each of his digits. Steven did his best to hold back his tickle reflex, his fingers almost seizing, his other leg rubbing against the shower floor, all to keep from involuntarily laughing out loud. Pearl closed her eyes, and Steven felt her lukewarm breath pass his toes as she sucked his feet. Shower water coated his body, giving him something else to think about as he averted his gaze away from what Pearl was doing. He halfheartedly scrubbed himself as he felt Pearl's spit coat the ends of his foot.

Then her sucking got slower, her breathing heavier against the top of his foot. Steven had begun to wash his hair when she suddenly sped up, her moaning as loud as it could get with a foreign object in her mouth, when she pulled back, spit trailing from her mouth and Steven's foot as she panted. She laid back at the other end of the shower, her legs spread, her clothes soggy and drooping as she pulled her hand out of her skirt.

"That... Hah... That's how I like to take care of my fetish needs..."

Pearl shot Steven a warm, if exhausted, smile as she cleaned off her hand, Steven already knowing exactly what she did with it.

"So, uh... We don't have to do this every time you shower," she said. "But just to give you a heads up... Sometimes I can't, uh... control myself... So you might wanna expect a few surprise pop-ins from me when you're showering! Ok?"

She playfully patted his soapy hair.

"No worries, buddy."

She stood up and stepped out of the shower, Steven looking away from her outline while he heard the sounds of soggy clothes being discarded on the floor. _Well, at least I can shower all by myself now,_ he thought. Then the water started to turn slightly cold. He sighed as he stood up and finished washing his hair, rinsing it thoroughly before he shut the water off, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel from the nearby cabinet.

-

Steven finished putting his clothes on. He didn't want to think about the disturbing encounter he had with Pearl earlier. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and flapped it, the hair on his arms standing up at the circulation of chilly air before he sat on the side of his bed.

** _*knock knock knock*_ **

"Steven?" he heard his mother ask. "You done?"

"Yeah," he said back, a touch of gloom in his voice. Pink entered the room carrying her phone.

"I have a surprise for you."

Pink showed Steven her phone, allowing Steven to read the message. It was a group chat between her and the other Diamonds - the same one she had shown him that night in the green room. It was a big message from Blue that continued past the limits of the screen.

_"Show this to Steven,"_ the first message read before another one started. _"Steven? Your mother, Yellow, and I have been talking... It's time! :) it's time for you to become a Diamond! I know you're busy today, so we'll have to do it tomorrow, but even if we decided to do it right now, I'd be every bit as excited as I am now!"_

Blue's announcement quickly devolved into what Steven viewed as dribbling nonsense about how she finally found someone to love, how she was never happy under the old Authority, blah blah blah. Steven speed-read the rest of the message before his eyes caught the name Connie. He paused, then read from the start of the sentence.

_"Your little friend Connie will be so happy upon the Forging, I bet she'll ask us to be a Diamond too! Silly little humans think we can just do it at the drop of a hat..."_

Steven internally sighed in relief. It was just a passing remark and not something serious - although he didn't question how Blue knew Connie's name without him telling her. Pink pulled the phone away and put it back in her pocket.

"So, you excited? You'll be the first male Diamond in Gems history, and you'll have plenty of friends to help you rule! Isn't that awesome?"

In another universe, Steven would have been excited beyond belief. His own empire to rule? Being the highest in the Gem caste? His best friends by his side? It would have been an automatic "yes" from another Steven. But what he had gone through the past month told him something else. Instead of overwhelming excitement, it gave him a sense of dread as he immediately thought of the other Diamonds... _training_ with him. He began to relive what Pink, Amethyst, and the others had done with him when he felt his mother's hand on his lap.

"Stevie, baby? Did I lose you there?"

Steven snapped out of his trance, manufacturing a smile.

"Y- yeah. That sounds great, mom. I, uh... I was just thinking about all our training..."

He felt his mother's other hand caress his cheek.

"Oh, Stevie... I know you're having a hard time dealing with all the training we've been doing. But you've got to do this for me and the others."

She gave him a grin that beamed with motherly love.

"You'll love it once you become a Diamond. I promise."

She kissed him on the mouth, grabbing the back of his head and slipping in some tongue before she pulled out, giggling.

"Heheheh... Someone needs more kissing practice. Now, let's go check your schedule and see what else you have to do today!"


	8. Chapter 8: Saviour

** _\--Five hours after Steven's shower--_ **

"Steven? Honey?"

"Yeah, mom?"

"I brought some folks here to see you."

Steven turned over in his bed.

"I don't wanna see anyone. I just wanna go to sleep..."

"Heheheh! Steven, it's only five-thirty!" he heard a familiar voice exclaim. His pupils shrunk; his eyes widened.

"Connie?"

He felt someone sit beside him in bed and pull off the covers.

"Surprise, my love!"

Steven turned his head to see none other than Blue Diamond sitting beside him, a warm smile greeting him as Pink and Connie stood in the doorway. Steven swiftly changed his facial expression to something less fearful.

"Oh, uh, hi! What brings you here?"

"Your mother and I had another talk, and she convinced me to come down early to treat you to one of your human rituals! This is what you would call a "promotion", yes? Promotion from not just human to Gem, but to Diamond? That's nothing short of a cause for celebration!"

Steven sat upright, looking confused as Pink sat beside him. She gave him a peck on the forehead, Blue running her hands down his back as Pink spoke.

"So, I decided to quit my Earth job and use up the rest of our currency to take you, me, and all the others out for a fancy dinner! Well, except Pearl. You know how she doesn't like human food."

"Oh. Uh... That's cool."

Pink gave her son a pat on the back as she got up, standing in the doorway.

"I've already made reservations. How ready can you be in half an hour?"

"Uh-! I can be ready real fast, mom!"

"That's my Stevie."

She blew him a kiss as she closed the door. Steven's face grew as red as a beet as Connie and Blue didn't follow suit.

"Hey, guys? Are you gonna... lemme get dressed?"

"C'mon, Steven," Connie said softly. "You can get dressed in front of us. You've already seen all of us naked, and vice versa."

She leaned on his dresser, crossing her arms, her friendly expression quickly fading.

"So?... What're you just sitting there for?"

Steven felt a creeping sense of dread as Blue pecked him on the cheek.

"She's right, Steven. Why the hesitation? Not the conduct one would expect from such a finely trained young boy..."

Without a moment to doubt, Steven got out of bed and rushed over to his dresser, avoiding eye contact with a very cross Connie. He closed his eyes and took his pajama shirt and pants off, replacing them with his classic shirt and jeans. He still felt humiliated, the sense of the two's eyes on him never leaving him. He turned to face them, smiled, and struck a pose."

"Ta-da! I'm all ready to go!"

Connie looked unimpressed, a scowl beginning to develop on her face.

"You _do_ know we're going somewhere that has a sense of class, right? Do you really think you'd look in-place wearing clothes like _those_?"

Steven's false smile evaporated as he looked down guiltily.

"No..."

"Then take them off. And look at us while you do it."

His hands beginning to tremble, he lifted his shirt up over his head, keeping general eye contact with Connie and Blue as he folded his shirt and put it back in the drawer. Then he pulled his jeans down, quickly discarding them in his dresser, wiping off a bead of sweat on his forehead as the room began to feel much hotter.

"W- what should I wear?"

"I know," Blue said before she snapped her fingers. Instantly, Steven was clothed by a nice suit and slacks, undershirt and all. Connie's angry look lessened slightly as she glared at Blue.

"Bluuue..."

"What? He asked for something to wear!"

"You could have just put them in his dresser! You can't just baby him like that!"

"Well, my apologies for treating my love with decency!"

"He's my love too, y'know! And love means you have to be tough sometimes!"

Blue crossed her arms, rolling her eyes as she got up and led Steven out of his room by the arm.

"I'm very glad she won't become a Diamond along with you," she muttered under her breath.

** _\--Ten minutes later--_ **

"Hey, Connie," Pink yelled, "wanna come down now? Everyone else is ready!"

Steven sat in the middle of the couch, Amethyst and Blue at his sides, as Pink angrily stared at the top of the staircase.

"Want us to leave without you? You won't get to see Steven become a Diamond!"

Down the stairs trudged Connie, her eyes down, a sad frown on her face.

"Hey. Uh..."

Pink looked down at Connie, sporting an angry frown ill-fitting for her kind and motherly face.

"Don't you have something to say to Blue and Steven?"

"Yes..."

Connie walked around to the front of the couch, standing in front of Blue and Steven.

"Steven, Blue, I'm really sorry that I got so mad at you."

"And?" Pink asked, raising an eyebrow. Connie sighed as she took Steven's hand and kissed it.

"And I won't do it again."

She turned towards Blue.

"I'm really sorry you had to see that, Blue."

Blue looked somber as she put an arm around Steven.

"Thank you. And... I'm sorry I said I didn't want you to be a Diamond."

"That's fine," Connie said without a follow-up. The room was silent; you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Amethyst patted Steven on the lap.

"So, uh... Should we start heading out so you three can kiss and make-up?"

Connie smiled awkwardly as the other Crystal Gems got off of the couch.

"Sure. We might need another minute or two."

The Crystal Gems headed out as Steven, Pink, Blue, and Connie remained in the house. Pink sat with them, her previously angry expression entirely gone.

"Say," she started, "are you sure everything's alright? It's not anything more than some new friends getting snippy with each other?"

Blue smiled back at her old friend.

"I think it's nothing a dinner together won't fix."

Pink smirked as she snuck her hand over to the front of Steven's pants. Steven felt a tinge of nausea as his mother continued.

"You sure. You don't want a short little burst of..."

She grabbed his crotch in plain view of the others.

"_Bonding?_"

Blue covered her mouth with her hands; Connie blushed and looked away. Pink giggled and pulled her hand away.

"Aww, why not?"

I made a vow to myself," Blue interjected. "I vowed to save myself for his Forging. I also wanted to be his first, but..."

Blue grinned confidently grinned at Pink.

"I'll let you have that honor."

Pink blushed lightly and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh, Blue, thank you so much... And what about you, Connie?"

The young girl giggled as she headed towards the front door.

"I just don't wanna spoil my dinner."

_ **-Twenty minutes later-** _

The group had arrived at the fancy restaurant without further incident. The back room was reserved all for them, each Gem taking their own spot. Steven remained standing as he scouted out the empty seats at the long table. There was one in between Pink and Blue, one between Amethyst and Peridot, and one between Lapis and Connie, as well as an empty spot at the head of the table, with Pearl and Peridot in between. He began to fidget with his collar as he mentally ran through which of the seats he wanted least.

_I don't wanna sit with Connie... But she'll probably yell at me again if I don't sit with her... I don't wanna sit with Pink or Blue. I don't want them to touch me here... Pearl is real weird, but not in a bad way... and I guess Peri's kinda harmless..._

"Steven? You gonna sit, are you gonna eat standing up?"

Connie's joke caused all eyes to descend on Steven. He gulped as he fast walked towards the front of the table, choosing the spot between Pearl and Peri. He held his hands together and forced a wide grin.

"Uh... I chose the head of the table cuz... I'm gonna be the next Diamond, and Diamonds are leaders, right?"

The table was dead silent for a few moments before everyone burst out in laughter, including Steven. It was such a silly rationalization that not even he could buy it.

"Just say you don't wanna sit with us, buddy!" Connie interjected. Steven's laughter quieted as he went to study his menu, everyone else soon following suit as the table talk turned into gossip and small talk.

** _-Ten minutes and three glasses of water later-_ **

Steven crossed a leg and wagged his foot. Everyone had ordered dinner - except for Pearl, of course - and cross-table conversations were in full swing. Steven was keeping quiet, too immersed in his own thoughts to pay attention to what anyone else was saying. Thoughts about what would happen tomorrow, about how he would become a Diamond, about what all the training was supposed to even do.

"Hey, Steven, talk to us. We're dying over here!"

Pearl gently tapped his arm, her and Peri happily gazing into Steven's eyes. Steven snapped out of his trance and took a sip from his fourth glass of water.

"Uh... Pearl, why are you here if you don't like human food?"

"I couldn't not be here for this, Steven! It really doesn't matter that I can't eat anything here, because I'm here for you!"

Pearl gave Steven a big, friendly smile as he sipped on his water.

"Anything else you wanna talk about?"

"Uh... Oh yeah. Where's Garnet?"

"You don't remember? Garnet left the day after the talent show. She went to do some therapist stuff like she normally does."

"What sort of stuff does she do as a therapist?"

"I dunno. But whatever it is, it's gotta make your mom real unhappy. She tells us not to let her back until you become a Diamond."

This strange revelation made Steven raise an eyebrow.

"That's weird. Why would mom do that?"

"Beats me. Must be pretty important, though, huh?"

"Guess so..."

Steven crossed his arms, his leg wagging impatiently as he waited for the food to arrive. But then he noticed something on his cuff that made him pause. It was a strange, clear stain. Then he looked back down at the rest of his outfit. He froze.

_Don't tell me..._

"Hey, Blue? Where did you get these clothes?"

Blue stopped gossiping with Pink and leaned forward in her seat to look at Steven directly.

"Remember when you first went to Homeworld? I never got a chance to give those back to you. I, uh... I might have tried them on... Or did something a bit more than that. I figured they didn't need cleaning, but..."

She snapped her fingers, and suddenly Steven's clothes were as fresh as they could be. Blue gave him a wink before turning back to chat with Pink. But it did little to phase Steven as hormones flooded his brain and put him in fight or flight mode. He chose flight.

"I, uh, I'm gonna go use the bathroom!"

He quickly got from his seat and exited the party room, entering the nearby bathroom, breathing hard, beginning to see red. He went over to the sink and ran the water, pulling up his sleeves and obsessively washing his hands and wrists. The washing made him calm down slightly. He quickly looked around him to make sure no one else was in there - sure enough, there wasn't even anyone in the stalls. It was the perfect time for an act of catharsis.

Slowly, he began to tear up, sobbing quietly so no one outside could hear over the general ambience of the restaurant. He sniffled as tears ran down his red face and lightly stained his suit. He whimpered to himself, somehow alleviated by his emotions bursting out in such a small way. He kept washing his hands as he cried, the rush fading, but the panic lingering. He turned the water off and grabbed a paper towel, drying his hands and washing his face before throwing it in the trash. Then his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He pulled it out, expecting a call from one of the Gems about what was taking him so long. But what he saw surprised him.

_Message - Garnet - Just now._

He initially hesitated on checking the message due to what the other Gems would text him. But his intuition about what Pearl had told him made him think otherwise.

_If they aren't letting Garnet train with me, there has to be a good reason why..._

He clicked on the notification.

"_Steven_," it read, "_there's not enough time to explain - MAKE AN EXCUSE TO GET OUT!!! I'm in the ugly tan ship at the end of the parking lot! WE'RE LEAVING!!_"

The message frightened Steven as much as it excited him. It didn't take much deliberation to reach a decision. It was either stay with the Gems and continue what he was enduring, or go with Garnet to somewhere unknown. He headed back out of the bathroom and into the party room, walking up to his mother.

"Hey, mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I, uh... I left my phone in the ship. Can you gimme the keys, please? I'll be right back."

Pink thought nothing of it and gave him the ship keys, conveniently forgetting that the bulge in his pants wasn't from him being happy to see her.

"Thanks," Steven replied as he left the room before darting out of the restaurant and heading to the very end of the parking lot. He checked his phone, the bright screen contrasting with the dark night.

"Steven," he heard someone whisper. "Over here!"

He used the flashlight on his phone to guide himself to where the voice was coming from. Soon enough, he found Garnet, standing outside an ugly, small, tan ship. The door was open, and Garnet swiftly entered, Steven close behind, neither making a sound. A surge of adrenaline washing over him, his hands and feet shook almost violently as Garnet piloted the ship, got them off the ground, and sped up into the skies and beyond the atmosphere.

_ **\--Half an hour later--** _

The rush of hormones and chemicals had worn off twenty minutes ago, replaced only with dread and fear as the two hurtled through space. He was curled up in a ball in the back of the ship, the inside looking more like someone's room than anything, with two beds on each side and the walls covered in personal memorabilia. Garnet pressed a few buttons at the control panel before getting out of her seat and sitting beside Steven.

"Alright, the autopilot should handle everything for the next hour or two."

She didn't touch Steven. She barely even looked at him. Instead, she sighed.

"White told me everything about what you were going through. I'm so sorry I didn't take you on the night of the talent show. It takes so long to get to Earth from where I'm taking you, and once I got there for the show... I got cold feet. I wasn't absolutely sure you were in danger. Now, I am."

Steven was silent as his arms wrapped around his legs, his face between his knees. He was sobbing again. Garnet frowned, knowing that she'd lose whatever trust he had in her once she touched him.

"Steven? Do you wanna just... Talk? About stuff?"

"N- nooo-o-o..." Steven whimpered, his cries muffled by his slacks.

"Alright... You can sleep in the other bed, I know it's late for a boy your age."

She stood up and sat at, the built-in desk near the flight controls, writing something in her notebook. She looked back at him, a look of regret and sorrow on her face.

"You don't have to hide it anymore. You're somewhere they can't get you. Get some rest for now, and you can talk to me whenever you're ready."

Steven didn't respond. His mind was going a mile a minute, just from all the thoughts entering it. About where Garnet was taking him, and what she'd do with him. About what the other Gems would think of him. Or whether his mother and the other Diamonds would keep him from being a Diamond. Or worse, what Connie would do to him. He gradually scooted across the floor, his mind jumping to the worst case scenarios of each as he eventually made his way to the bed on his side. He crawled into the strange bed material, never having slept on a ship before, and curled up under the cheap, stiff blanket, removing his shoes and overshirt under the covers and slipping them out onto the floor and closing his eyes to attempt to get some rest.


	9. Interlude

** _\--One hundred and ten years before the Universe Concordat--_ **

White's ship orbited the Gem Homeworld. She was on the bridge, staring out into the deep recesses of space, sitting with a friend and fellow ruler.

"What did you say these... "homo sapiens" called this concoction? Tea?"

She took a sip from an aquamarine crystalline cup.

"What a rich flavor, so surprisingly filling... And I don't even function metabolically."

Pink giggled as she took a sip herself.

"Speaking of functioning metabolically... These 'humans'... I think we should try a different approach."

White raised an eyebrow.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Don't worry... I have a plan."

Her form began to morph into that of a human, with long, wavy pink hair and a larger body type.

"Meet Rose Quartz, traitor to the Diamond Authority!"

White's expression remained stone solid, until she cracked up into laughter.

"Are you serious? Even I think you're underestimating the intelligence of these apes!"

"Aww," 'Rose' said as she turned away, "I guess those months and months of conversations and meetings with human rebel leaders don't matter..."

"What?"

White set her cup down as 'Rose' looked back, a mischievous smile on her face.

"You didn't know?" asked 'Rose' as she turned back into Pink. "Rose singlehandedly _convinced_ a good chunk of human rebel leaders to join Rose's peace movement, almost like magic... We all think our tensions can be resolved without full scale colonization."

White scoffed.

"Once the humans find out about our... policies... They won't exactly be clamoring to be part of us."

Pink gave White a wink as she stood up, her cup dematerializing as she opened a portal and morphed back into Rose.

"You'll see."

** _\--Fifty years before the Universe Concordat--_ **

"Pink," White complained, "I told you how much I _despise_ these primitive devices!"

"Cross universe communication powered by quantum entanglement isn't _primitive_, White!"

"We surpassed quantum technology several millenia ago!"

White heard Pink groan.

"I'm not here to listen to you whine, '_my Diamond_'," she exclaimed in a mocking voice. "I'm here to talk about solutions!"

"Then talk to your human friends!"

"We all want peace, you don't! There's not a lot of discussion for me to have with them at this point! Why are you so resistant to peace!?"

"Let me guess - you haven't told them a word about the trafficking ring, have you!? Of course not! You'd lose all your support in a microsecond!"

"For the millionth **fucking** time, it's not a trafficking ring! It's mass community indentured servitude!"

"I thought you stopped telling that lie decades ago! We need to stop all of it now, or else-"

"Aw, is that some regret I hear in the mighty White Diamond!? Don't act like you're a saint just because you _fEeL bAd AbOuT tOuChInG bOy GeMs!_"

"And you don't!? How can you not!?"

"We're saving them, idiot!"

"You're saving them from what you'll do to them anyways!?"

"Better we teach them and give them shelter and food and a loving owner than let them suffer and die in-"

"And that's the difference between me and you, Pink! If I had to choose between making someone my slave and letting them die, I'D JUST **LET THEM DIE!**"

The line was dead quiet for several seconds.

"I didn't mean that," White said in a hushed tone before hanging up. She unplugged the wire from her phone and put it back in her bedside dresser. She laid in bed, a smoky black hand grazing her shoulder.

"You alright, Miss Diamond?"

White sighed as she held the hand on her shoulder.

"Everything's fine, Schranz. It's just that the situation with Earth is... really ugly."

She turned in bed to face Schranz, a young Gem of nine years gifted to her by the colony of Kizuju. His boyish face, adorable little dot eyes and smoke-black coloring contrasted heavily with not just White's room, but White herself. He looked concerned, but that didn't break his warm, energetic smile.

"You can just tell everyone to stop being mean to the Earthlings. They'll listen to you."

A worried expression on her face, White forced a smile.

"Schranz, dear... It's not that easy. Even my word isn't enough to keep the more... unhappy factions of our empire in check. They want to make the humans join us, while Ro- eh, Pink and I want peace between us. And there are a whole lot of very loud, very angry Gems who lost their own from rebelling humans..."

She hugged Schranz tight, making Schranz hug back.

"Miss Diamond, are we gonna play?"

"...No, sweetheart... I promised you that we'd never play together. I think you're worth more than what any of the other Diamonds think you're worth."

Schranz gave White a contagious grin.

"Miss Diamond? Pink and the others sound like jerks!"

** _\--Forty years before the Universe Concordat--_ **

"Ah, man... No offense, Miss Diamond, but this really beats what we do on your ship..."

Schranz stretched as he and Diamond soaked up the nighttime city skyline on Homeworld. The two were laying by themselves on a crystalline knoll, staring up at the sky.

"Schranz?" White asked.

"Yes, miss?"

"I'm... really sorry for... everything."

"Don't be sorry, miss."

"I really should be..."

"No, no~"

He held her hand as he turned his head towards her.

"Going by what you tell me, you saved me."

"N- no, I only saved you from a life with your loving family and-"

"They didn't love me, though."

White was stunned.

"What makes you say that?"

"My family... made me do stuff. Some of the stuff you said you'd protect me from."

Her eyes widened from Schranz's revelation.

"What?... You never told me any of this."

"I figured early on that if I did, you'd use me the same way..."

"Schranz, sweetheart..."

White hugged Schranz, starting to cry.

"Its just a no win situation, isn't it!?"

"What is?"

"It's either leave you with your family or take you somewhere to do what they did to you!"

"...You're not talking about me, are you?"

"I, I just, I don't know anymore..."

White broke down in tears, Schranz comforting her by sitting her upright and pecking her on the cheek. 

"Excuse me?... My Diamond, what are you doing here with this... rabble?"

The unknown voice in front of them made the two look straight at it. It was a gem in excessively militarized garb, unnecessarily overloaded with weapons and materials for the setting. White wiped off some of her tears and stood with Schranz.

"Excuse me, underling?"

"Not to sound out of line, My Diamond, but your taste in younglings... Tsk, tsk. He looks like you shoulda dropped him years ago."

"Enough. What's your business here?"

"We're just enforcing the law, My Diamond."

"Your outfit doesn't exactly say 'official Authority enforcer' to me."

"We aren't official, we just make sure that our catches are handled officially."

White clenched her fists, knowing exactly what this Gem meant. She held in her rage.

"Any 'catches' tonight?"

"Yup. Some poor bastard was holding a bunch of em. Got em all locked up and ready for relocation."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to come with."

The other Gem raised an eyebrow.

"Sure..."

After a few minutes of walking, the Gem led the pair to the back of a secluded house at the city limits. The gem knocked on the door leading to an outside basement. 

"Hey, Mala! Open up! We got someone special to help us out!"

The basement door opened up to another gem in a similar outfit. She took one look at White before removing her helmet and kneeling.

"My Diamond, it's an honor to meet you."

"At ease," White said. "How are the, uh... captures?"

"They're not going anywhere," the gem said. "We caught 'em off guard, we're just waiting for the transport at this point."

"I see... May I... _review_ your _captures_?"

Using such language made her feel sick. The leader gem nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. Watch your step."

The two headed down into the humid, unkempt basement to find a group sitting around a table, blindfolded and gagged, some of them audibly crying as they wrestled with their bonds. White struggled to contain her raw, explosive anger. Behind the other gem, her fist surged with energy as she let her rage fuel her power.

"And where are these captures going?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"What's wrong, My Diamond? We were just taking them to the reeducation facility near-"

The gem didn't get to finish. In a moment, White plunged her hand into the gem's back, forcing the gem out of her from the front. White crushed the gem in her hand with ease.

"**You shall not be missed,**" she fiercely whispered as the gem disintegrated into light, the uniform she was wearing falling to the floor. She went outside, preparing an energy blast when she saw the other gem laying her hands on Schranz.

"Oh, hey, uh... This is exactly what it looks li-"

The gem saw the energy ball in White's hand and immediately became frightened.

"Wha-! HOLY SHIT! PLEASE, GOD, NO! DON'T KILL ME!"

"I won't."

White rushed towards the gem and pushed the energy ball into her abdomen, holding her up with a single hand before firing the energy ball - and the gem with it - up into the sky. It exploded into a spectacular firework, with the gem plummeting back down towards the ground, her gem shattered.

"See?" White said. "I didn't kill you. Physics did."

The other gem disintegrated without a sound. White took Schranz's hand.

"Schranz? I think the Authority will be fine with a few 'misplaced' captures, don't you?"

** _\--Ten years before the Universe Concordat--_ **

"Schranz? I... I'm really going to miss you..."

"I'll be fine."

He kissed her on the cheek.

"And so will you."

Schranz gave White a smile as he walked into his escape pod and departed from her ship. White waved at his pod as it hurtled towards the colony of Kizuju. A glum look on her face as the pod gradually got harder and harder to see, she soon trudged back into her personal quarters and laid on her bed, empty for the first time in decades. She was about to lay down when something in her bedside dresser vibrated.

_What's in there?_ White thought before immediately realizing what it was. She pulled the old, dusty phone out to see an unknown number calling her. She answered.

"How did you get this number?"

"Hey, White. It's Rose."

Her sad expression morphed into one of anger.

"Oh, it's you. Did you call to tell me how many human kids you and your band of nobodies have touched since we last spoke?"

"I'm here to talk about peace."

"There's nothing to talk about with someone like you outside than your hard labor sentence."

"White, I've done it! I've got all the humans under one banner, and a whole bunch of Gems, too! Peace is coming whether you like it or not!"

"I DO like the idea of peace with the humans. But it can't happen under the Authority as it is now! Especially not with you running around molesting and-"

"I don't want to argue about this again!"

"Because you know it's indefensible!?"

"...It was nice talking to you."

"Don't you hang up on-"

The disconnect tone rung.

"...Me."

She put her phone back in her bedside dresser and laid back on her bed, feeling angry before clearing her head. Then, she headed out of her room and taking an escape pod herself.

_You're right, Schranz,_ she thought. _I will be fine_.

** _\--Eight years after the Universe Concordat--_ **

White had been working hard for almost twenty years. It was good work. Honest labor for an honest living. The colony free from the shackles of the Authority, Kizuju soon became a small, isolated farming community, and a haven for those affected by the crimes of the Empire. It was mostly made up of male presenting gems, but it was a close-knit home to all who wanted to live the rest of their lives in peace. And one of those lives was coming to an end.

"Schranz? Please, please stay with me for a little bit longer..."

White sat at the side of Schranz's bed, his old body splayed out. His smile was as young as when they first met. He didn't say anything, he just smiled at her as his life began to fade. White got into bed with him for one last time, holding him close, kissing him on the cheek.

"Please, please, please... I don't want to lose my only friend..."

Schranz silently smiled at her as she cried in his shoulder.

"I... I can extend your life with my powers, sweetheart..."

"Don't, Miss Diamond... Just let me go."

His words shook her.

"You... You don't want to..."

"No. I've had my fun, and I've had my chances. I'm ready, Miss Diamond."

"I- I've always loved you."

"I know."

His smile remained steady as he began to fade away into light. White held a tight grip on his hand before it dissipated. In a few seconds, he was gone. White laid there, motionless, without expression, tears running down her face.

_What will I do now? He's been my everything for over fifty years. And now he's dead..._

** _\--Two years later--_ **

"Alright... Yeah, uh-huh... Thanks, Blue."

White disconnected from Blue as she approached the larger cruiser. It belonged to what her former colleagues would call a rebel group, despite there being not much to rebel against. The flight controls stopped responding. She recieved a transmission.

"We recognize your ship, White. Come along quietly and we'll see that you won't be executed the moment you step off."

"I have no intention of resisting."

"Good."

She walked to the docking bay of her ship and was greeted by an escort led by Jasper.

"Alright, you heard the gem, get her to room C2-"

She stopped mid sentence. She looked over and saw another, much bigger ship approaching the docking bay. 

"Holy shit. Secure her and get back!"

Several gems tackled White before getting her up and dragging her to the ship entrance. She didn't resist. The other ship's docking mechanism jammed into the port. They waited for the commotion to settle down. An automated voice came over the intercom.

_"Pressurization levels normal. It is safe to enter: Docking bay."_

"Get her to C2," Jasper said as she opened the door to the docking bay. Her weapon at her hip, she cautiously approached the other ship's airlock. It slowly opened up, a small figure stumbling out. It was a human boy in a pink shirt and jeans. He looked dizzy as he dropped to the floor, curling up into a ball. Jasper looked confused.

"Uh... You okay, kid?-"

**"LAAAAAAAAAAND! SOLID LAA-A-AAND!"**

He remained motionless as another figure emerged from the large craft. Jasper cracked a half smile.

"Should've known it was you, Garnet. You picked a hell of a way introduce yourself to our new friend."

"No speaking... I need a few minutes to hug the floor..."

Garnet braced her fall with her arms before collapsing to the floor with the boy. The boy gave a light chuckle.

"Am I safe now, Garnet?"

"Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Part One.


	10. Chapter 9: On the Road With Garnet

"Call me if you need anything. Steven isn't a very fussy boy, so..."

Steven didn't pay attention to the rest of what his mom was saying. He was just sitting on the couch, waving his legs like a happy little boy. He could hear his mom's friend Amy talking with her, but he couldn't make out what she was saying - not like it mattered too much to him.

"Alright," he heard Amy say, "I'd tell you to have fun, but you know how the other two can be."

"That's alright. Blue's got my back."

"Well, duh... Anyways, I'll see you later."

Steven was staring off at the TV, which wasn't even on, when he felt someone pick him up.

"Ok, Steven. Time to say bye bye to mommy!"

Amy held him in her big, purple arms as his mommy waved back at him.

"Say bye bye, Steven!" his mom said as a strange circle appeared in front of her. Steven waved back as his mom entered the circle, and then it disappeared. He was a little worrier, and Amy knew that as she took him back inside and sat him back on the couch.

"Amy," Steven asked, "is mommy gonna come back?"

"Don't worry, little sweetie," Amy said as she rubbed his head. "Mommy always comes back, doesn't she?"

"But what if her die-man friends make her not come back?"

"She'll always come back for you, babe," Amy said with a kiss on the forehead. Steven giggled.

"Only mommy gives me kissies!"

"Well, I made a new rule. Amy can give you kissies, too!"

"I make a rule that says you can't kissie me!"

"Then _I_ make a rule that says I can give you all the kissies I want!"

Steven laughed and playfully tried to push Amy away as she kissed all over his face.

"Heeheehee! No more kissies!"

"What's that? I didn't hear the magic wooord..."

"Please! Pretty please no kissies!"

Amy quickly ceased kissing him, leaving Steven cackling. He soon stopped when Amy gave him a one-armed hug.

"You want hugs, too?" he asked.

"No, Mister Silly... I'm thinking of a fun new game we can play."

"A game?" he asked, his little face lighting up.

"Yes, a game! It's a very special little game, just for the two of us."

She got off of the couch only to get on her knees in front of him. Her face looked serious as she held up her hands, her fingers spread out.

"_My itsy bitsy fingers are..._"

"Going up the water spout?" he interjected.

"_No, they're... Tickling your knees!_"

She began to tickle at Steven's knees, making him laugh and shake.

"Hahah! I don't wanna be tickled!"

"_Let's play a game, it's just for you and me... Take off your shirt, and pull your pants down..._"

Steven stopped laughing, reluctantly putting his fingers around the bottom of his shirt, looking at Amy with confusion.

"Mommy said I can only take my clothes off when she's here..."

"Oh, does she?"

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

"Well then, we better not tell mommy. You can keep a secret, can't you?"

Steven nodded with a smile.

"Good," Amy said in a hushed tone. "Now... Take off your shirt, and... _pull your pants down..._"

Steven did as he was told, taking everything off except for his heart-plastered undies.

"_Let my itsy bitsy fingers... Touch you all around..._"

Amy hummed the tune to herself as she used her itsy bitsy fingers to do exactly that. Steven looked around at where her hands went; his arms, his back, his legs. Then she started to sneak them into the strap of his undies. He had a strange feeling tingling up his back as her fingers... went inside. And then they touched his swimsuit parts. He was flooded with the unknown, uncomfortable feeling as Amy gently played with his special parts.

"Amy?... I feel funny..."

"That's just part of the game, sweetheart. Besides, your mommy touches you this way when she dresses you or puts you in the bath, right, Steven?... Steven?"

-

"Steven? Steven!?"

"Nngh-! AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaauuugh..."

Steven woke up in the uncomfortable ship bed, the feeling of dried tears on his face and a warm, soggy feeling below swiftly waking him up. He opened his eyes to see Garnet standing over him. Although she had her classic tri-goggles on, he could tell that she looked shocked and sad.

"Steven? You were screaming... Did you have a bad dream?"

"Y- yeaaahhh..."

He shook and curled up into a ball, his formal wear made at least ten times more uncomfortable from the sweat and... what he knew he did.

"Garnet? I..."

"I know."

The two awkwardly stared at each other until they heard a knock on the ship door.

"Hey," a muffled voice yelled, "you gonna come out or are you gonna loiter!? There's a loitering fee!"

Garnet sighed as she got up and headed towards the exit.

"Just stay here. I'll figure something out."

Garnet exited the ship, locking the door from the outside, making the ship chirp. Steven laid in bed, feeling slimy and hot as he reflected on not only his dream, but what he did. He had wet the bed. He was so sure he'd stopped doing it months ago. Not that he'd be punished for it back home, but it was always so humiliating for his mother to sigh and collect the soiled objects before marching the both of them off to bathe - or, even worse, when Connie would angrily cry out "_you wet the bed **again**_", which was honestly much worse than any physical punishment.

Then there was his dream, which was much more of a nightmare. It was one of several recurring dreams that almost always made him bedwet. Even worse, they were more vivid, more realistic than anything he could actually remember. He had given up trying to remember if they were real, or when they happened. They were still stuck in his subconscious, and they had physical effects. That was all that mattered to him.

The car chirped again. The door opened. Garnet was carrying a full bag.

"Hey. I got you some things."

Garnet set the bag down in front of Steven's 'bed', then went to stand in a corner.

"So I got you a shower-in-a-can, a towel, and some spare clothes. I don't know your size. I'm sorry if they don't fit."

Steven picked the can out of the bag and stared at it in confusion.

"Shower in a...?"

His pupils shrunk as he gradually turned back towards Garnet.

"Can you... please... leave?"

"No problem."

Garnet got out of the corner and exited the ship again, turned away from him the whole time. Steven's legs were wobbling as he removed his soiled and dirty clothes, tossing them towards the back of the ship. Grabbing the towel from the bag and laying it on the floor, he took the cap off of the can and began using it as instructed. For such an average sized can, it did a decent job at what it was advertised to do. The hot stickiness of dried urine was washed off and soaked into the towel at his feet.

It took ten minutes of constant spraying for the can to be totally depleted, which was enough time for Steven to clean himself as thoroughly as he could. To his surprise, the water on his skin evaporated quickly, alleviating Steven's concerns of using a piss soaked towel to dry himself off. He lifted the towel with a foot and flung it at his dirty clothes, then checked inside the bag for what Garnet got him. She wasn't lying. All that was left in the bag was a pink shirt with some undies and jeans. He fit the undies around his feet and pulled them up, thoughts of his dream intruding on his thinking process as he dressed himself.

_Just pull these up... She's touching... Gotta put these on... Fingers around my... Now for the... She's rubbing me..._

Steven wrung his hands before stretching in his new set of clothes. The didn't fit perfectly, but it was better than nothing - and much better than clothes that were itchy, sweaty, and piss-stained. He picked the pair of socks from the bag, the last thing in it that wasn't the empty can, and put them on. These certainly didn't fit him - they were too big! They were baggy around his feet and almost went up to his knees. Steven would have complained in any other situation, but this time he decided to cut his losses as he headed out of the small ship.

"Garnet? What about shoes?"

"Shoes?" she asked back before pushing her palm into her face.

"Oh, shoot! My bad, Steven. They didn't have footwear at the clothes store! You're just gonna have to use the shoes you came with."

"Aw. Alright..."

Steven went back in and grabbed the dress shoes, putting them on and tying them up before heading back out.

"Tadaaa," he nervously announced, his arms wide open. Garnet smiled and cracked a giggle.

"That's a ten from me!"

Steven blushed, almost half-smiling as the two walked off together.

"Thanks... Where are we going?"

"Breakfast spot. Good thing we parked next to a strip mall, huh? Hahah!"

\--

The walk took a few minutes, but it was well needed exercise for Steven, having not left his house in weeks. They had arrived at a very human looking diner, styled after an era that had long passed. Garnet held the door open for him, allowing him inside first. He studied the checkered pattern of the floor as he did his best to ignore the ambience of the diner's interior. The sounds of things frying in the kitchen, the indistinct chatter, the barely audible music playing. He felt someone take his arm.

"Steven? We're supposed to seat ourselves," Garnet said with a laugh.

"Oh, sorry..."

Steven looked embarrassed as he led them to a seat near the front entrance. They took their seats at the table, and soon enough a waitress greeted them.

"Hello! How can I help you today?"

Steven glanced at his menu to see something he wouldn't normally expect in a restaurant so far from home. Everything on the menu was what he'd expect from a local place where he lived.

"Ooh... So this place has a human food theme?"

"Yessir," the waitress replied. "And humans get a discount!"

"Wow. That's sounds awe-"

He looked up at the waitress, a deep blue Gem with ice blue hair. She reminded him of someone he didn't want to think about.

"...some."

He went back to his menu, pretending to look busy, even though he knew exactly what he wanted. He set the menu back down and looked up at the waitress, playing it cool to the best of his abilities.

"I'll have the, uh... The classic platter."

"Okay. Pork sausage links or bacon?"

"Sausage links, please."

"Alrighty, and your drink?"

"Orange juice."

"Okay, and you, miss?"

"Gimme a... black coffee, and, uh... Some of those pancakes."

"Okay, thank you!"

"Thank you", Garnet replied back as the waitress took the menus and left. She faced Steven again, tapping her fingers on the table.

"Steven? Not the best place, I know, but... You wanna tell me something?"

Steven felt a pit in his stomach as he looked down at the table.

"Uh..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. But if you have something you wanna get off your chest..."

"It's not just mom... Or the Crystal Gems... It's the..."

He lowered his voice as Garnet leaned in to hear.

"It's the Diamonds, too," he spoke in a hush. Garnet nodded.

"I know. You're not alone, Steven."

She gave him a reassuring smile.

"I've helped hundreds of boys just like you. We'll get you through this."

Steven smiled back at her for the first time since he left with her.

"Thanks."

"No problem, Steven."

-

The food had arrived a few minutes earlier, and Steven was already done. Normally he wasn't very hungry, but he couldn't resist a delicious combination of scrambled eggs, sausage links, and hash browns. Gulping down the rest of his orange juice, he finished his breakfast with a smile. Garnet barely touched her food, although she drank all of her coffee.

"Y'know, there's just something I really like about black coffee," she began. "It's bitter, yeah, but it gets me going like nothing else."

"Excuse me, miss? Here's your bill."

"Alright .. You take cash?"

"Yup."

"Here's twenty... five bucks. Keep the change."

"Alrighty then, thank you. Have a great day!"

"You too," Steven said on impulse. The waitress smiled back at him before leaving the table. He and Garnet got up and walked out the door when something caught Steven's ear through the noise.

"Yeah, I think that's the missing kid from Earth..."

Garnet must have caught it too. Her walking pace sped up as they made their way back to the ship.

-

Garnet entered the ship and dashed towards the flight controls, getting the ship up in the air and flying away. Garnet sat back in the pilot seat as she reconfigured the autopilot.

"Okay, I have good news and bad news. Bad news, someone recognized you and we have to get off of this planet. And we don't have the time to refuel this ship. Good news? I know someone. He's a few minutes away."

Steven looked nervous as he went to sit on Garnet's bed, looking down at the floor, waving his legs. Garnet sat by his side, her hands to herself.

"Steven? Is there something else you wanted to talk about?"

"My dream..."

"Okay. What was your dream about?"

"It was... Amethyst... And I was a little boy again... She put her hand down my undies and... she touched me..."

"That's awful. Was the setting more dream like, or was it real?"

"Real. I think... I dunno... I think it's more of a memory than a dream."

"Huh. Have you had this dream before?"

"Yes."

"Have you had dreams like it before?"

"Yes."

"Were those dreams real, too?"

"Yes."

"Hm... This is just me speaking as a person, not a trained therapist... I think your mind is reconciling what you went through by-"

** _*BZZZZZT*_ **

"...as I was saying, I think-"

** _*BZZZZT!*_ **

"Oh, come on..."

Garnet grabbed her phone from her desk. She checked it once, then put it back in the desk. She sighed.

"I was right. They put an alert out for our ship. Thankfully, we're almost there..."

Steven gulped as Garnet back on the bed with him.

"What were you gonna say, Garnet?"

"Yeah, I was gonna say, I think your mind is channeling what the others did to you through your dreams. But you said you were a little boy in your dream... How long have they been hurt- ...doing these things to you?"

Steven looked up, fright in his eyes.

"...A long time..."

He started to tear up. Garnet took her goggles off, empathetic sorrow on her expression as she decided to hold Steven's hand.

"I'm so sorry..."

-

Garnet landed the ship in a ship lot. The two left the vehicle, Garnet fast walking up to the nearby building. Steven would have normally checked around for all the coolest looking ships, but he had much bigger things on his mind than sightseeing as he held a death grip on Garnet's hand. They went inside the building, not much bigger than a shack, to see a Gem dozing off at the front desk. Steven found it odd - instead of being a young female presenting Gem he had come to expect, it was a Gem who looked more like the equivalent of a middle aged man. Garnet rung the front desk's bell; the Gem jolted awake.

"Mmph, eh?... Garnet!? It's so good to see you!"

He excitedly shook her hand; she grinned.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too. Listen, I don't have much time."

"Since you're here, I figured that! Follow me."

The pink-and-brown spotted Gem got out of his seat and led the two out of the shack. Steven had more than a few questions for Garnet.

"Garnet? I thought Gems lived forever. Why does he look so old?"

"I'll give you the really, really, _really_ short version - male presenting Gems don't exactly function like us, uh, 'normal' Gems. They're a lot more like you humans. Most important is that you share similar life expectancies."

"Woah... That's weird."

"Yup. And this is Rhodonite, or Rho. He's one of those boys I mentioned earlier."

"Yup," Rho replied. "And all the mirrors in the galaxy tell me something's gone terribly wrong since we last met!"

Steven chuckled at the unexpected joke as Rho lead them to a big, green ship. He slapped the exterior.

"This bad boy can get you all the way around the solar system in five minutes flat! And I'm giving it to ya for absolutely nothing!"

"You're a used car- uh, used ship salesman?" Steven asked curiously.

"Hey now, they aren't _used_," Rho answered back. "They've just been through a bit of wear and tear."

"He says that to everyone," Garnet said as the ship's entry ramp lowered. Steven now had the energy to gaze at the ship in all its glory. It was a massive ship, with a long, grey central unit and four green vertical prongs above a two-thruster engine. It was bizzare in its exterior design, and he could only wonder what the interior was like.

"Wanna look around?" Rho asked. Steven smiled like he hadn't in weeks.

"Yeah!"

Steven ran up the entry ramp and entered the ship. It was surprisingly spacious, its chrome interior obviously designed for vertical as well as horizontal movement. He climbed the ladder on top of what he considered the 'ceiling' and made his way all the way up to the doors leading to the pilot chamber. The doors opened up, Steven entering the chamber and looking ahead. In front of his gaze were two chairs, pointed up at the sky. He could only gaze in wonder as he imagined what it would like to fly this thing. The doors opened once more.

"Ready, Steven?"

In came Garnet with the bag from the ship, now filled with much more than clothes and a can. She set it down on what would normally be the wall before helping Steven climb up into the copilot seat, and helping herself to the pilot seat.

"Treat 'er well, ya hear?" Steven could hear Rho yelling before the entry ramp shut. Garnet tapped some buttons, making the engines start up.

"So, this is a real old spaceship. Real old. Early Gem space travel old. So, that means no gravity regulation in exchange for being the fastest thing you'll see in your life. And that means we'll reach our destination in a half hour rather than a few days."

***LIFTOFF IN T MINUS TEN SECONDS***, an automated voice boomed over the intercom.

"And there's that, too," Garnet continued. "Real annoying, isn't it? Now strap in!"

Steven wasted no time in strapping himself into his seat, feeling the rumbling of the ship as it began to lift off.

***SIX. FIVE. FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE.***

Steven held on to Garnet's hand. The ship took off with ferocity, blasting away any ships in the vicinity. Steven closed his eyes and felt nothing but the rumbling and tension of a spaceship in motion. Sixy seconds of raw euphoria and terror gripped him until he suddenly felt lighter. He opened his eyes back up. They were back in outer space. He exhaled sharply, a wide smile on his face.

"That... Was... AWESOME!"

He looked over at Garnet, then took his hand off of her, blushing as he did.

"Thank you, Garnet."

"Heheh, it wasn't my idea to refurbish this old thing."

The two unstrapped themselves, Garnet tying up her bag while Steven went to explore the innards of the rest of the ship. He floated down the long, chrome hallway and stopped at the first door he saw. Inside was a bedroom, one that had a strange material floating underneath its "matresses", and chambers strapped aside - he figured those were for restoring gravity, so people wouldn't just float off in their sleep. He left the room and entered the adjacent one, seeing a big, empty room, that seemed to be for storage. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, finally having time to think for himself.

_This whole day's been real crazy... First I let myself get kidnapped by a Gem, then the shower in a can, then a weird Earth themed diner, and now this thing! I wish my old Earth friends were..._

His thoughts paused.

_I dunno if Connie would like this. She'd be real mad that I left her and mom... Mom's probably feeling really sad, too... And everyone else..._

He heard a knock on the door before it opened.

"Steven? How are you?"

"I, uh... I dunno..."

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you feel comfortable sharing it with me?"

"Y-... Yeah."

"Alright. Go ahead."

Garnet set herself against the "wall" at the bottom, Steven floating down to follow suit. He crossed his arms, a lump in his throat as he began to talk.

"My girlfriend... She's... she's really mean to me... She and mom make me do stuff that... that I don't wanna do..."

He looked away from her and down at his feet. Garnet gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Do you feel ok telling me what stuff they did? You can tell me anything at all."

"Okay... They... they touch me... they touch my privates... And they take photos of them..."

He began to break down, his voice cracking and his eyes watering.

"And so do the other Crystal Gems!!"

His tears floated off of his face.

"They touch me and they have sex with me!! They wanna train me to be a boy Diamond!"

Garnet was shocked at Steven's teary-eyed confession.

"My god," she mumbled, "it's worse than I thought."

She cleared her voice.

"Steven? Can you tell me who... touched you? And who had sex with you?"

"**Everyone!** Everyone had sex with me-e-e!"

Steven hugged Garnet tight and cried on her belly. She rubbed his back.

"Steven... I..."

She held her tongue as Steven sobbed. She patted him on the back, being careful not to go too low.

"Shh, shh, shh... Just breathe for me... Breathe slow. In through your nose... Out through your mouth..."

Steven did his best to follow her instructions. His thoughts weighing heavily on his mind, he gradually calmed himself down to a point where he could speak in complete sentences. Garnet gave him a motherly hug.

"You're safe, Steven. They can't get you here..."

"My... My mom makes me kiss her and .. have sex with her..."

"For how long, Steven?-"

"**YEARS!** And last month, the other Diamonds tried to have sex with me, but I said no... Then the Crystal Gems... They all had sex with me!"

He broke back down into a sobbing wreck. Garnet was feeling incredibly depressed, but she had to get answers.

"Does your girlfriend-"

"Yes! She makes me do it even when I don't wanna... At my house, her house, sometimes at school! She keeps telling me she loves me, but she gets real mad when-"

"Steven, how old is she?"

"Thirteen!"

"Does your mom train her too?"

"N- no!"

"Can you tell me her name?"

"Connie!"

Garnet wasn't surprised, but she was still shocked. She had normally noticed a change in his body language and speech when Connie was around, but now it started to make more sense.

"Do you want to take a break, or..."

"N- no, I gotta tell someone... Just please don't ever let them find me..."

"I won't. I promise. Now... Can you tell me when all this started?"

"Okay... But I have to go back a long time... I don't remember a whole lot..."

-

Steven was in the green room. Connie was against him, kissing him as she held him down. The door opened. His mother gasped.

"Steven Quartz Universe... What's going on here?"

His eyes widened in fear, his lips locked with Connie's against his will. Connie pulled back.

"I'm just kissing your son, miss," Connie said."

"How'd you get down here?"

"Steven showed me. Right, Steven?"

Steven nodded. Pink crossed her arms.

"Steven, I'm not angry... But I am disappointed."

She began to take her clothes off.

"You can fix that, though..."

-

"Just like that?" asked Garnet.

"I said... There wasn't a whole lot I remember... I'm probably missing some stuff... This was four, five years ago, and-"

***DESTINATION REACHED. SECURE INTO DOCKING POSITION.***

The automated voice interrupted the moment between the two. The ship began to rumble as the docking process blared over the intercom.

***CALCULATING DOCK ANGLE. CALCULATING DOCK SPEED. BRACE. BRACE.***

"Brace!? It shouldn't be telling us to brace, it's a damn spaceship!"

Garnet floated out and back towards the pilot chamber, Steven close behind as he wiped off his tears. They didn't have time to get in their seats, as the docking process has begun. Garnet backed up against the wall.

"No time!! Wall! NOW!!"

Steven followed Garnet's example as the ship finally began to dock. The ship shook, the antiquated docking mechanism scraping against the modern one. Then the gravity kicked back in. The shaking worsened for a few seconds, then it stopped. The two laid on opposide ends of the wall.

"My legs... feel... soft..." muttered Steven.

"Saaame," groaned Garnet. Slowly, they collected their bearings, Steven being the first down the ladder, as Garnet was still laying flat. He went down as carefully as his wobbling, jelly-like legs and arms could, his head spinning, his emotions all over the place. Then he stepped down on the floor. The entry ramp lowered. He stumbled out into the light.

"Uh... You ok, kid?-"

**"LAAAAAAAAAND! SOLID LAA-A-AAND!"**

Steven fell to the floor, curling up into a ball.

He barely heard Garnet say "hug the floor" when he felt Garnet's touch. He looked up at her, hope in his eyes.

"Am I safe now, Garnet?"

"Yes."


	11. Chapter 10: A Boy Named Lars

"I will only speak to Steven Quartz Universe."

"You don't make the demands. We do. Tell us how and why you're here."

"I will only speak to Steven Qua-"

"You _do_ understand that _even if_ we had him, we'd never let you talk to him?"

"Liar. I saw him in the docking bay. I just want to talk-"

"Sure, right before you start touching him like we all know you will."

"I won't! I gave that up!"

"You don't 'give up' touching kids!"

"I was wrong, and I got better!"

"That's a hell of a saving grace to all the lives you and your empire destroyed! Thank goodness White fucking Diamond came to her senses after five thousand years of raping and molesting!"

"Jasper," a voice said over the intercom, "interview time's over."

Jasper grumbled as she stood up from her chair, then got in White's face.

"Piece of fuck. Freak-show mother-fucker. We'll get something out of you soon enough. Y'know why? Because we've got something more powerful than your inferiority complex and self-loathing. It's called a volume knob."

Jasper stomped out of the interview room. White could hear her yelling indistinctly. Suddenly, blaringly loud music came on over the speakers. White shuddered and blocked out the sounds, rolling her eyes at such a primitive technique.

_Oh, Jasper,_ she thought. _You haven't changed a bit._

-

"And this, Steven, is where all the magic happens."

"Whoooa..."

Steven was awestruck as he glanced around at the pilot room. It was tan colored, just like Garnet's ship - in fact, it was almost exactly like Garnet's ship, just more spacious and having more doors and ladders. Steven gazed out the window and out into space, his mind void of negative feelings for a very short time before a hand much bigger than Garnet's gave him a pat on the back.

"Welcome to your new home, kid. The Diamonds and their friends won't even catch a whiff of you over here."

He looked beside him to see a very large Gem, one with smoky, dark blue skin and bundled, yet flowing rows of hair. She wasn't smiling or giving any outward signs of happiness, but Steven could sense joy radiating from her body just from his presence.

"We're all glad you have you here, Steven. Name's Bismuth. I'm the leader of this rebellion."

"Rebellion?" Steven asked. "But there's nothing to rebel against. The empire's gone."

"I hate to say it, but that's where you're wrong, boy. The Authority's still alive and well, not just in force, but in spirit. And your mom and all her little Gem friends? They're planning something _real_ big. The Authority Loyalists have been getting harder to kick out of our spaces, and even harder to remove from theirs. They're reforming the old guard, and bringing in new ones too."

"Wow... I thought the thingy my mom pushed through would have done something."

"Oh, it did. It gave us a hell of a lot of future fighters in the forms of former Cluster members."

"That was a lot of F's."

"Yeah, and- huh? Lot of F's?"

"You, uh... You used a bunch of words with the letter F in them, and I thought... Sorry..."

Steven averted his gaze away from Bismuth, awaiting a yell or something physical. Bismuth looked down at him, confused.

"Nothing to be sorry about, kid, but... Maybe save the jokes until _after_ I get done explaining the sociopolitical situation post-Authority?"

Steven gradually looked back at Bismuth, worry in his look.

"You're not... uh... I mean... I..."

"You expecting something?"

"Y- yeah..."

"Like what?"

"...uh..."

Without a word, Steven dropped his pants. Bismuth raised an eyebrow in shock and confusion before looking away.

"Woah, woah, woah! I didn't need to see that!"

Steven blushed as he stood there, his legs starting to wobble as he looked at the floor.

"I'm really sorry... That's what my girlfriend would make me do when I... talked out of line..."

"...The fu-? The hell's up with your girlfriend?"

Then the hatch leading the the lower level opened.

"Hey, Bis? Jasper's interview- WOAH!"

The hatch closed shut. Steven covered his face with his hands, not bothering to pull his pants back up out of shame. He heard Bismuth dash towards the hatch.

"Hey, come back! This isn't what it looks like!"

"I'm real sorry about that," he heard an older boy's voice say. "Guess I should have knocked!"

Then he felt his pants being pulled up. He opened his eyes to see a human boy, a few years older than him, with a light-brown skin tone and messy, auburn hair, dressed in a strange yellow-and-red spacesuit.

"Hey, dude, is this how you greet the ladies?"

The older boy gave him a chuckle and a pat on the arm, but Steven wasn't laughing. The other boy's smile quickly dissipated before he held out his hand.

"Name's Lars Barriga. Also known as Lars of the Stars!"

"No one here calls him that," Bismuth added, making Lars shoot a glare at her.

"That's what _my fans_ call me!"

"Yeah, all six of them."

"You... Shut up," he said with a chuckle before going back to Steven.

"Anyways... Welcome aboard the Light of Justice! More like the Tan of Justice, right?"

"Lars," Bismuth interrupted, her voice denoting annoyance. "Does the kid look like he's in the mood for jokes?"

Lars frowned before stepping back.

"Aww... I thought I could see him crack a little smile there."

"It's okay," Steven replied as he stared at the floor. "I just wanna look out into space."

Bis and Lars looked at each other, then back to Steven. Lars awkwardly waved at him before going back down the hatch.

"Alrighty then. Have fun!"

Bismuth led Steven up to the pilot controls, allowing Steven to gaze off into space.

"That was... _really_ awkward," she said after a few moments of silence. "Just stay right here and come down to the living quarters when you're ready. I've got some business to take care of."

Steven didn't respond as he stared off into the expanse of stars and lights in front of him. The hatch opened and shut again as Steven took a while to collect his thoughts.

_I probably went too far. I think I made her hate me now..._

-

"What the fuck did those sick motherfuckers do to him?"

"He told me enough to know that we can't let them near him for the rest of his life."

"The kid just dropped his pants even after I said he was fine! Then he said his girlfriend makes him do that when he... Ugh. Makes me wanna beat the shit out of all of 'em..."

"Agreed."

"Hey, guys?" Steven announced as he climbed down the ladder into the living quarters. "Are you talking about me?"

He stepped onto the floor to see Garnet and Bismuth having a chat at a table. The two flashed smiles at him, although Steven knew they were just for show. They dropped the ruse quickly enough.

"Yes," Garnet said. "We were talking about how you, uh... You know. Can you come here, please?"

Steven began to feel a tingle of fear and revulsion in his lower back and head as he approached the little table. Something bad was about to happen as Garnet gave him a rub on the shoulder.

"Me and Bis have been talking, and, uh... We think it's best you hang with Lars during your time here."

"...Huh?"

Steven was already mentally preparing himself for it. The fakeout. The practice. The touching. The... _intercourse_. Then out came Lars from one of the rooms, wearing a casual purple shirt and jeans.

"Did someone call for Lars of the- ...oh. Hey, Steven."

They all awkwardly looked at each other in silence before Steven slowly got out of his seat and inched towards Lars. It was too surreal, too uneasy for someone to say something as Steven soon stood by Lars' side.

"Uh... Okay. I'm hanging with Lars now."

Everyone was quiet for a few seconds more before Garnet burst into an alleviating laughter that made everyone else laugh along. Steven blushed as he laughed out loud, releasing some of the pent-up tension as Lars rustled his hair.

"Hey, Steven? I was thinking. Wanna know why I'm here?"

"Heheheh... Uh, yeah, sure thing."

The laughter quieted down as Lars led Steven to his room. Looking around, Steven saw that it was the exact same as Garnet's ship, just with some paintings and posters on the wall instead. The posters were for sports events from a long time ago, and the paintings were all spectacularly well done - one of Lars and what Steven assumed were his mom and dad caught his eye as the painting hung over Lars' bed.

"Like that one, dontcha?" Lars asked. "Did it myself, and from memory, too."

"I'm just surprised someone my age did this. It looks so good!"

"Heheh... _Your_ age?"

He sat in the chair at his desk, rolling it towards Steven.

"Unless you're three hundred and sixty seven, I'd think twice about saying that."

Steven's eyes widened in amazement.

"...What?"

He waited for the snicker or the 'psych'. But it didn't come. Instead, Lars grabbed the bottom of his shirt.

"Check this out."

Lars pulled his shirt up to reveal a shining, beautiful pink gem where his belly button would be. Steven's mouth hung open. He was speechless. Lars let him gaze for a bit longer before pulling his shirt back down.

"Yeah, I'm what you'd call a human experiment... If I was still a human. Nah, I've been a gem since your momma put this bad boy in my belly... Oops. Did I say that out loud?"

Now Steven was just confused. His face contorted, trying to make sense of the bombshell Lars had just dropped. Lars gave him a chuckle.

"What... The... Hell?"

"Hey, now. Language, little dude."

Steven sat on Lars' bed as Lars rolled up to him.

"Lemme unjam some of the gears in your head for you," Lars said with a smile.

** _\--Three hundred and fifty years ago--_ **

Lars had finished packing his most important things in his backpack. He'd written his last notes to mom and dad, the both of them out at work. He looked back at the inside of his house one more time before closing the door, wiping tears from his face as he walked off.

_I'm really sorry_, he thought, _but I just don't wanna be here anymore._

He walked aimlessly outside of his cul-de-sac and into the bustling noise and action of a small city. It was a sunny day, and he was wishing he had packed a water as he made his way from the city outskirts and into the city itself. He could feel swarms of eyes surrounding him, glaring at him as he crossed his arms and began to consciously control his breathing.

_You're okay, no one's coming for you, no one's gonna..._

"Hello," he heard an older man say at his side. "Aren't you a little too young to be here?"

Lars turned to see a stereotypically evil looking man. Poindexter glasses, black suit and slacks, fedora. A weasely face that stared almost angrily at him.

"Come here, let's see if we can find your parents-"

Lars broke out in a run, ignoring the man's cries of "come back" and "stop". He did his best to avoid contacting others as he ran, the man's yells to "stop that kid" growing faint as he dashed down the crowded sidewalk. Before long, he was one with the moving crowd as he clung for life to the straps of his backpack. His eyes caught an alleyway as he tried to ignore all the other eyes he could feel staring at him. He dashed into the alleyway, hiding behind a garbage receptacle. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he began to cry.

He put his hands in his face and sobbed quietly so no one could hear him. Then, still sobbing, he opened his backpack and pulled out a steak knife he had lifted from the house. He held the knife in his hand as his heart raced. He felt a chill running up his back, his thoughts going back and forth between what to do.

_I.... I can't... Mom and... They don't care enough to stop me... But they'll still miss me..._

Suddenly, he felt a pair of eyes staring right at him. He gripped the knife like his life depended on it, looking around like a madman. Then he looked up. Something was looking down at him from the top of the building. Then it fell. Lars dropped the knife onto the pavement and covered his face with his arms.

** _*BANG*_ **

He could hear the pavement beside him shatter. He slowly opened his eyes to see a tall, pink lady staring at him, confused.

"Hello," she said nonchalantly. "What are you doing?"

Lars sniffled as he felt warm kindness radiating from this strange woman.

"Uh... I... I ran away from home... And I'm gonna... I was gonna kill myself..."

He broke back down into tears as the strange lady sat beside him, grabbing his hand.

"Ah, okay... Why?"

"Because I... I don't wanna live anymore..."

"Why not?"

"Because I hate my life!"

"Why?"

Lars couldn't give an answer. The pink lady gave him a reassuring hug.

"I can help you, human."

She held her hand out towards the brick wall, and suddenly a strange, bright oval shape appeared in front of them. Lars' eyes widened from amazement, although it did little to ease his sorrow.

"M- Miss... How are you gonna fix me?"

She gave him a wink.

"You'll see."

She grabbed Lars' arm and led him through the portal, taking him out of the alleyway and into a place he had never seen anything close to in his whole life. He gripped his backpack's straps and stared in awe at the strange thrones in front of a vast expanse of stars. His jaw would have hit the floor, if it were possible.

"Ah, Pink! So good to..."

The voice of another woman came from behind Lars. He turned around to see a blue lady with long hair looking at him oddly.

"Pink? What is this... Thing?"

"I haven't told you?" replied 'Pink'. "This is a human, species homo sapien, from Sol's Terra 1601!"

Lars was incredibly confused as he wiped tears from his face.

"I'm sorry, but... Who are you?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" 'Pink' said. "I am Pink Diamond of the Great Diamond Authority! And this is Blue Diamond. Now, what's your name?"

Lars was silent as his eyes alternated between the two of them.

"My name's... Lars... Lars Barriga... And I don't like it when people look at me."

-

"Stop touching me, Blue Diamond..."

"My apologies, Larsbarriga," she said as she stopped poking him all over. "I've... I've never seen anything like you before. What an interesting little species you homo sapiens are! I just need to tell the others-"

"Blue? He asked you nicely."

"Oh, alright, Pink..."

Blue walked out of the pink room as Pink sat with Lars on her bed.

"You'll have to excuse her. She's a bit, eh... clingy."

Lars could sense Blue's eyes on him as Pink talked about nothing. He looked towards the door to see a pair of eyes peeking through the crack. Then Pink put her hands together. A bright, shining light emitted from the crevices of her closed hands. Blue darted into the room, looking shocked.

"Pink! What are you doing!? You can't just forge a gem for this... admittedly very interesting human boy! You'll kill him just like all the others!"

Lars felt a pang of horror before he began to tear up.

"I... I don't wanna die, Miss Pink!"

"You won't," Pink responded. "Because I haven't tried this yet."

The light from her hands stopped. She pulled her hands apart, and floating on her pointer finger was a beautiful pink diamond. Blue's mouth was wide open as Pink rolled up Lars' shirt and pushed the diamond into Lars' belly button. His body seemed to embrace the diamond, his button absorbing - and then being absorbed by - the gem. It shined brightly before Lars felt an intense, firey pain from his belly.

"Nngh...! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

After a few seconds of the absolute worst physical pain he had ever experienced - and the Diamonds looking confused and scared - he blacked out.

** _\--Present day--_ **

"Next thing I knew, I was at some super secret facility they keep folks like me. Eh, Gems like me. Can't tell you much because I was fast asleep before Bis' and the others broke me out. This was a bit before... well, before there wasn't a need for those facilities anymore. So, yeah. I'm a Gem because of your mom."

Steven was chomping fistfuls of popcorn as Lars finished his story. He gulped down his current handful before Lars swiped some pieces from his bag.

"And where'd you get _those_, mister?"

"Your eyes were closed, so, uh... I made myself a snack."

Lars rubbed Steven's head with his clean hand while eating up the popcorn in his other hand.

"Heheh. I like ya, kid... So, long story short, it literally took hundreds of years for me to get to where I am now. I've put my regrets and sadness behind me... Maybe that's just because of all the serotonin and brain chemicals they pumped into me during my nap."

He pointed at his door with a showman's smile.

"I know what some of you are thinkin' - _God, I wish that were me!_"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Just some of my otherworld fans."

"Otherworld? Is there a camera on your door or something?"

"Nope. I'd make a joke about there being one, but, uh... Anyways. Welcome aboard, enjoy your stay, if you find my snack stashes, don't take too much. 'K?"

"'K," Steven replied, putting the popcorn bowl on the floor and standing up. He went towards the door when Lars rolled over to him and grabbed his arm.

"Hey, dude. You're gonna get past it."

Steven gave Lars a smile of confidence - one he hadn't given in the longest time.

"Thank you."

** _\--Meanwhile--_ **

"Uh... Hi."

"Come in, Connie."

Pink beckoned towards Connie as she and Yellow comforted Blue, who was sobbing hysterically. Connie had never been on the Gem Homeworld before, although she didn't expect her first trip to be something like this. The young girl stepped forward, towards the three Diamonds when Pink held her palm out.

"Do you know why I brought you here, Connie Maheswaran?"

"No," Connie responded.

"I brought you here... To make you the fifth Diamond."

Blue stopped crying. Yellow angrily glared at Pink.

"Make HER a diamond!? We all know you can't make one for another hundred plus years! Who's gonna do it, us!?"

"Yes," Pink said with a stern face. "You and Blue."

"You want US to spare OUR powers to turn this NOBODY into a DIAMOND!? ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

"**_YES! I! AM!_**"

Pink's booming voice startled Yellow, who stepped back. Blue looked up, parting her hair and staring up at Yellow.

"Please. This human's already laid the groundwork for so much of Steven's-"

"We can't even find the little bastard anymore. He's disappeared like dust in the wind!"

"We'll find him. We have... _Her_."

Blue held her hand out.

"Please. When she delivers Steven, our empire will be back and bigger and even more powerful than its peak."

Yellow clenched her fists and teeth before joining a palm with Blue, yellow and blue lights colliding between their closed hands.

"Fine. But you and the human owe me."


	12. Chapter 11: Conversations Alone

"Lars?"

"Yeah, bud?"

"I think I'm ready to talk."

"Alright. C'mon back."

It had been four days since Steven arrived in the company of the rebels. He was still wary of the group, which was why he never took more than a few steps outside of Lars' room. He tended to keep contact with Bismuth and Jasper to a minimum, and although he was softer towards Garnet, he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to her 'rescue'. But Lars was sort of different. Although that base trust wasn't there yet, he didn't feel nauseous or scared near him, which was more than he could say about the others. He took a few steps into Lars' room, Lars shutting the door behind them as Steven sat on his bed. Lars set his rolling chair in front of Steven, grabbing a notebook and a pen.

"So, what's on your mind, bud?"

Steven tried his best to maintain eye contact.

"Uh... Well... I checked my phone earlier today."

"Did you text anyone?"

"No. I just checked my messages. I saw that Connie's last message was from about five days ago..."

"Is that normal for her?"

"No. I'm worried about her."

"Why?"

"Because she keeps telling me things like... 'if you leave, I'll... I'll kill myself...' and I'm really scared that she did that."

"Did she say that to you recently?"

"No, but she does it when she thinks I'm leaving."

"Is it ok if you give me an example?"

Steven began to fidget as he tried to keep eye contact with Lars' friendly face.

"Yeah. I used to have a friend named Peedee back home. He was real fun, even though he was kind of annoying. Then Connie said I had to stop seeing him."

"That's odd. Did she say why?"

"Yeah, she said she doesn't want people to think I'm... 'gay'. She said that means when boys love boys."

"So did you stop seeing Peedee?"

"Yeah. She even made me stop sitting with him at school during lunch and hanging out with him during recess."

"So, this Connie girl, did she say she would kill herself if you-"

"Yeah."

"Huh... What did she text you?"

"Oh, uh... Normal girlfriend stuff. She was asking where I was, what I was doing, hoping I'd come back safe and sound."

Steven kept a straight face as he lied through his teeth. He didn't want to go down the rabbit hole of telling Lars what she actually texted him.

"You sure?" Lars asked, able to tell something was wrong.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure," Steven replied with a smile.

"Alrighty. If she texts you something else, come and show me or Garnet, ok? No pressure."

Lars gave Steven a confident smile before turning a page in his notebook, writing a few lines down before asking another question.

"Okay, now Garnet told me some things about what... some other people back at your home did with you. I know it's a sensitive topic, but do you feel like talking about that?"

Steven crossed his arms as he moved his back to the wall.

"I... I can try..."

"Don't worry. We don't have to if you don't want to. We can talk whenever you're ready, bud."

"I think I'm ready. Yeah, yeah, I'm ready."

"Are you sure? I wanna help you as best I can, and I'm okay with waiting to make it happen."

"I'm sure."

"Okay. Go ahead."

Steven took a deep breath out, feeling clammy and hot as he thought of what to say first.

"Uh... Well... The other day... On the ship me and Garnet came in on... I lied to her."

"Okay. What did you say to her?"

Steven was momentarily stunned by Lars' lack of reaction. He'd never get away with lying to Pink or Connie. And he had just lied to Lars! But he didn't seem to care about knowing Steven lied to Garnet. He just wrote an extra line in his notebook. Steven looked like a scolded pet as he started to curl up in the corner.

"I... I told her... It started later than it did... Mom had played with me before. Connie, too, but mom... Mom did it before I even knew Connie... I keep seeing it when I go to sleep... I have to tell someone."

"Okay. Getting things off of your chest makes you feel better, right?"

"Yeah... But first, I told her something true... I told her I had a dream about Am- one of my family members."

"Was this based on something real, too?"

"Yes."

"Alright. But I think we should stick to what your mom did first."

"Did Garnet tell you about my dream already?"

"...Yes. She did."

Lars got up and sat with Steven on the bed, hugging him.

"But I want you to focus. What did your mom do?"

** _\--Six years ago--_ **

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"What would happen if a boy got touched in a weird way, and they weren't supposed to tell anyone, but they told someone anyways?"

Steven already felt like this was a huge mistake. He looked guilty, scared. But he couldn't keep it inside any longer. And it looked like his mother could tell. A serious expression developed on her face.

"Steven? Do you want to tell me something?"

"It's supposed to be a secret..."

"Don't worry, sweetie. Mommy can keep secrets better than anyone in the universe."

"Okay..."

Steven stood on his tip toes to reach his mom's ears, the house empty as he whispered.

"Amy-fist touched my swimsuit parts last year."

"Oh, did she?" Pink spoke back in a hush; Steven nodded.

"She played a game with me," he continued, "it felt funny. She touched my pee pee."

Steven had a strange look that other five year olds wouldn't give when talking about their special places. He looked confused, even a little scared.

"She told me to keep it a secret..."

Steven felt his mommy's hand gently gliding up and down his arm. She gave him a loving smile as she held him tight.

"Steven? Mommy's gonna teach you something special."

Her hand went lower.

"Now, Amethyst is a gem who likes playing those games with boys like you. It's a girl's super-special way of telling a boy they love them. And you know what? It's completely normal to feel funny once the game's over. And it'll probably feel funny the next time she does it, too. But that's okay."

He felt her hand groping his backside. A spike of anxiety shot up his little back.

"Are you gonna play Amy's game with me, mommy?" he asked. 

"Not exactly, sweetheart."

Pink pulled her hand away from him and unbuttoned her top, removing the weird clothes under her shirt along with it. Steven giggled at the big orb things on her chest that flopped out; Pink giggled along with him.

"These thingies are real funny, aren't they? You wanna touch 'em?"

Steven's laughter stopped as he felt a strong sense of embarrassment. He also felt something else - a sense he hadn't felt since Amy touched him. It made him hesitate and speak quietly.

"Um... No thank you, mommy..."

"Aw, okay."

She patted him on the head.

"So, I took my shirt off. Can you take yours off for mommy?"

Steven felt dreadfully uncomfortable as he grabbed the bottom of his shirt, his mom on her knees in front of him. She wasn't saying anything, which made it even creepier. She was just staring at him in anticipation as he gradually pulled his shirt up over his head. He dropped his shirt on the floor. His mom rubbed his bare side.

"You're _so handsome_, Stevie. Do the other girls at school give you trouble?"

Steven raised an eyebrow, confused by what she was asking him.

"No. Why?"

"Because, silly, you look so good that... You're making me all hot! I have to take these off..."

Without another word, Pink pulled her work pants and underwear down, sitting beside Steven again as she grabbed his waistband.

"I love you _so much_, Stevie. I just want to kiss you all over. But we're gonna do something _even more fun_ together!"

Pink pulled Steven's pants and undies down with such ferocity that she nearly ripped them in half. Steven looked on in scared confusion, never having seen this side of his mommy before.

"Mommy? Are you ok? I'm sca-"

Pink leaned in and kissed Steven on the mouth, this kiss much different than her normal kisses. Her lips were pressed against his. He felt her tongue moving around in his mouth. Her breathing was hard and fast as she kissed him repeatedly. Then, she grabbed him tight and pulled him to the floor, laying on her back as one arm wrapped around him, and the other reached somewhere else. She pulled back, stopping the kiss to speak.

"Steven? We're gonna play a game only big boys get to play! It's called _fucking!"_

\--

"Steven!? Steven!! Steven, snap out of it!"

"**_N-! NOOOOOOOOO-O-OOOOO!!! I DON'T WANNA DO IT, MOMMY!!_**"

Steven was a nervous wreck, crying his loudest and hyperventilating as tears streamed down his face. He was in the fetal position, rocking himself at the corner of the bed.

**"I do- I don't wanna fuck you, mommy-y-y!! I'm sca-a-ared!"**

Instantly, he felt a warm embrace as he felt his breakdown fade.

"Your mommy can't get you, Steven. Your mommy hurt you real bad. But she's far, far away. She's not gonna get you, Steven. We'll never let her get you."

Steven felt his negative emotions being suppressed, to be replaced with a light and fluffy feeling. He felt... calm. At ease. He unwound himself and laid flat on the bed, feeling like he had been revived from anesthesia. Lars was holding his hand, a pink glow emitting from his palm.

"I, uh... I guess you could say this is my diamond power."

Lars let go, the glow subsiding, before sitting down next to Steven. Steven felt his fear and panic set back in, though not nearly as strong as before.

"I... I'm really sorry..." he softly spoke as he laid on Lars' side to cry.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about," Lars replied as he gave Steven the biggest hug he had ever given out.

** _\--Two hours later--_ **

"Lars? I.... I really gotta tell you something."

"I think we should take a break for today. You've been through a lot-"

"No! No. I need to tell you."

The two were still on Steven's bed, Steven still recovering from his breakdown earlier. Lars gave Steven's back a rub before a pink glow enveloped his hand.

"I'm not a therapist, but I'm training to be one... And Garnet uses me sometimes to talk to boys like you. Boys who've been through a lot. I should have done this earlier..."

Lars held Steven's hand, and Steven could feel a wave of warm calm wash over him. He could think much more clearly about what he wanted to tell Lars now.

"Okay... I... I wanted to tell you about Connie... We met when I was seven, and she was ten..."

"Were you at school?"

"Yeah... We were on the playground. I was by myself on the swingset... Mommy made me play in bed with her last night, and I was really sad about that... Then Connie walked up to me. She wanted to know why I was so sad. I didn't say why I was sad. I just told her I had a bad day. Then she said she wanted to be my friend. I was really happy that an older girl would want be my friend."

"Did she... do anything else, Steven?"

"Yes."

"What did she do?"

"She said it would be easier for us to be friends without everyone watching... I followed her to the other school playground that didn't have many kids playing... We got inside one of those tube thingies and... We kissed. It was a boyfriend girlfriend kiss. Only mommy and Amy kissed me like that. That made me really scared that she'd play with me."

"Did she... play with you, Steven?"

"Connie... Connie grabbed my pee pee in the tube..."

Lars felt it again. A dark, powerful negative energy that threatened to overshadow his own abilities. It was much more prominent than when he calmed Steven a moment ago. He knew he had to work fast before his powers became too ineffective. Steven was already beginning to cry.

"Stay with me, bud," Lars spoke frantically. "Did Connie play other games with you on that day?"

"Yes," Steven affirmed, beginning to break up. "She made me touch her parts and... We...!"

Lars let go of Steven as the negative energy became too much for him to bear. Steven cried into his hands, his emotions in full swing.

"Connie made me have sex with her at school! She said she'd tell the teachers I started it if... She made me... finish inside... Then she took my phone and texted mommy..."

"What happened after that, Steven?"

"Mommy... picked us up from school later and... She made us... go into the green room..."

"Green room? What's that?"

"Where mommy and Connie hurt me! They take photos and make movies of me... They make me play with them... Then they share them with everyone else!"

"Everyo-... Who's everyone else?"

Steven sniffled and hyperventilated his way to the answer.

"Th- the... The other C- C- Crystal Gems and... Th- the Diamonds... That's why B- Blue loves m- me s- so much!"

Lars stood up, looking conflicted and angry. He clenched his fists, barely able to contain his anger.

"Stay there, buddy."

He hurried out of his room.

"GARNET!? KEEP AN EYE ON STEVEN!"

Garnet was at a table, immediately springing to action and rushing over to Lars.

"What is it!? What's wrong with Steven!?"

"Just watch him! I'm gonna go have a chat with our Diamond friend!"

"She hasn't given us anything-"

"She **_will_** once I'm done with her!"

"Lars, listen to-"

"Garnet, Steven just dropped a bombshell on me! On _ALL_ of us! His piece-of-**_SHIT_** mom's been feeding homemade abuse materials to the other Diamonds for god-knows how long!"

"That doesn't mean White knows anything about it!"

"You honestly think she doesn't!? The woman who you say helped run a sex trafficking ring might possibly not know about the abuse of her friend's son!?"

"She's been living in a farming village for the last twenty something years! She doesn't know shit about Steven!"

"Then why's she keep asking for him!? Huh!? Wanna gimme an excuse for that!?"

Small flares of pink electricity shot from his hands and arms. He was breathing heavily as Garnet laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Lars. I know. You're _pissed the fuck off_ at what they did to Steven. We _ALL_ are. But beating the shit out of our most valuable asset won't change a damn thing, and you know it."

Lars' energy faded with his anger. He sat in a nearby seat and breathed slowly, internally counting to ten.

"Yeah... You're right. I do know better. It's just... I haven't seen anything _this bad_ since I signed onto the Justice. His negative energy was even stronger than Rho's. And Rho was locked in a cellar."

The door to Lars' room opened. Steven came out, wiping tears from his face.

"Guys? Are you fighting?"

Garnet and Lars were silent for a few seconds.

"Yeah," Lars spoke calmly. "We were. We're feeling better, though."

Lars shot Steven a grin. Steven didn't buy it.

"You guys sounded really angry..."

"That was mostly me. Sorry about that."

Garnet fast walked to Steven's side, grazing his hair.

"We were fighting because... We have someone here who wants to meet you. But we can't let them meet you because... It's White Diamond."

"White Diam-?"

Then he remembered. That was the mean white lady who did nothing but shout and scream. He wrung his hands.

"Uh... What did they say?"

"Nothing important yet," Lars interrupted. "She's saying nothing other than she wants to talk to you."

"What if I wanna talk to her?"

"Steven," Garnet spoke, "we can't let you."

"Why not?"

"Because she's White Diamond," Lars interupted again. "You know. The leader and most powerful of the Diamonds? The only reason we figure she hasn't deatomized this ship and everyone on it is because of you. My bet's on her stealing you and taking you back to the others."

"But I've gotta try."

"You really don't have to, Steven."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleeease?"

"No!"

Then, in burst Jasper, looking cross. She grabbed Steven by the hand, her grip tight on him.

"I'm outta patience. The kid's seeing White."

"**WHAT!?**"

Garnet and Lars walked with Jasper as the four of them made their way to the interrogation room.

"Do you know what'll happen if White gets her hands on Steven!?" Lars angrily asked.

"I sure as hell do. She'll sing like a caged bird."

"Look at Steven, Jasper! He's not in any condition to-" Garnet shouted before being interupted.

"He _WILL_ be once I put him in front of her!"

Jasper ignored the two's pleas as they neared their destination. She dragged Steven into the interrogation chamber, then shut the door behind them, leaving Garnet and Lars outside. Their muffled shouts and bangs on the door were lessened as the seconds passed. She let go of Steven's arm, leaving him rubbing it as a red mark developed. She tapped a few buttons at the control panel in front of the window. The door to the interrogation room opened.

"Get in there," Jasper spoke in a low voice. Steven didn't complain. He held his hands up and walked into White's interrogation room. He was greeted by a navy blue room and grey tile floor. He looked over to see a simple metal table and folding chairs. White Diamond was seated, her hands bound by a strange, glowing pair of cuffs, and her feet bound by glowing boots. The gem on her head was covered. White's expression didn't change.

"Steven Quartz Universe..."

She frowned, her expression changing to one of sadness.

"I'm so very sorry."

Steven's heart was beating fast. His pupils dilated.

"What?"

"I said, I'm sorry. Have a seat, please."

Steven wasted no time in sitting in the other metal chair across from White. He twiddled his thumbs, a bead of sweat dropping from his forehead.

"So, uh... I heard that you wanted to see me?"

"Yes."

"Why's that?"

"I just told you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything the other Diamonds put you through. I'm sorry about not doing anything while Blue hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't just take you away with me and head to my place, away from-"

"Blah, blah, fuckin' blah!" Jasper interrupted over the intercom. "You gonna tell us something worth listening to!?"

White rolled her eyes.

"Give me my bag. I have something for him."

Jasper growled into the microphone, and soon she came in with a duffel bag, slamming it on the table.

"Now, undo my binds like a good little subordinate," White said.

"Like hell."

"Uh..."

The two gems looked at Steven, who had just spoke up.

"White? I'll let you out. But promise that you won't leave! Ok?"

White smiled at him with the tender affection only a mother could give.

"I have no reason to break my promises, Steven."

"Okay. Jasper, how about you-"

He took one glance at Jasper to see she wasn't having it. She looked like she was about to blow a fuse. He could almost hear the steam coming out of her ears before...

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!? YOU CAN'T JUST LET HER OUT! WHAT'LL YOU DO WHEN SHE'S BACK ON THE STREET AND TOUCHING KIDS LIKE YOU!? POLITELY SUGGEST THAT-"

Suddenly, the covering surrounding White's gem shattered into pieces before evaporating into thin air. Then, Jasper was flung out of the room, and the door to the room shut tight. Steven could see her frantically pressing the button to the intercom, to no avail.

"I never liked her," White said, nonchalantly. "Oh, and the keys to my cuffs are on the floor. I made sure those were 'misplaced' before I made her leave."

Steven scurried over to the keys on the floor before heading back to White.

"Uh, how do I-?"

"Put the key in the lock in the middle, then press down on the other side."

It took Steven a few tries, and some reassurance from White, but soon enough, he got the cuffs off. Then her boots disintegrated into nothing, and just like that, White Diamond was unbound. And all she did was lay back in her seat and stretch.

"Ahh... These chairs make me so sore... And these idiots really thought I couldn't just do that this whole time? Well, of course they didn't. I am White Diamond."

"Miss Diamond?"

"Yes?... Oh, of course. The bag."

White reached into the duffel bag and pulled out the only thing in it.

"I brought this for you!"

White held out a pink stuffed lion with button eyes in front of Steven, a big, beaming smile on her face. Steven cautiously took the stuffed animal, caressing the toy's mane as White looked on.

"Um... Thank you," he spoke in a hush.

"You're welcome. Your friend Garnet gave it to me last month."

"She did...? How'd she find you?"

"I don't know, to be honest. But she landed in the middle of Schranz's special field! We didn't get off on the right foot."

"Who's Schranz?"

"Oh, yes, he was my... I don't want to say he was my boyfriend, but... He was my _love_. He passed away a few years ago."

"That's awful. Was he a boy gem?"

"Yes. And he was a lot like you when he was your age."

She took his hand, looking straight into his eyes.

"Ever since Schranz passed away... I've wanted to be with someone forever, Steven."

Steven's sick feeling came back. He knew where this was going.

"I... No, I... I don't want you to touch me..."

White stared back at him, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Touch you? No, no, not at all!... Instead, I..."

She grabbed at the gem in her head.

"I... I've decided..."

Steven wrestled White's arms away from her gem.

"N- No! You'll die if you do that!"

"I **know**! But if you let me finish-"

"**I won't!**"

_ ***BANG!*** _

"What!?"

_ ***shh-k!*** _

White began to seize and vocalize in pain as she recieved a voltage powerful enough to kill the fiercest of beasts. Then she dropped out of her chair and onto the floor, groaning in pain. Steven looked on, hugging the stuffed animal as Jasper and several others began to restrain White. Jasper gave Steven a glare.

"Don't just stand there, kid! **Get the hell out!**"

Steven ran out of the interrogation room, his heart pumping, sensing the blood and adrenaline rushing through him before he was caught by Garnet, sobbing into her clothes as she and Lars hugged him from both sides. The three spent a few minutes hugging it out before Lars stepped back.

"Steven? Did White Diamond... hurt you?"

"No," Steven responded, "no, she didn't. She, uh..."

He held out the stuffed lion.

"She gave me this... That was really nice of her," he said as he wiped his tears on his sleeve. "She also said that I reminded her of her dead boyfriend."

Lars and Garnet looked back at each other before Lars kneeled and gave Steven a pat on the back.

"Hey, uh... It's about time for dinner for you. How about we talk more about what happened later?"

"Alright," Steven replied as he walked off. "I was real hungry, anyways."

The two waved and smiled at Steven until he was out of earshot. Lars looked over at Garnet, looking skeptical.

"I hate to say it, but... I think he's lying."

"Me too."

** _\--Meanwhile--_ **

** **

** _*SLAM*_ **

"Dammit!... DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMN IT!"

She powered herself down.

"Anger's DEFINITELY not cutting it!"

She sat on the floor, her fists clenched as her gem radiated less and less energy.

"I... Ugh... I can't do it..."

"Why not?"

Blue swept in to comfort the new Diamond, only to be ignored.

"Rrrgh... I... I don't know what emotion brings out my power!"

"That's not a reason to give up, young Diamond."

"I know, it's just... I'm so tired... We've been working nonstop for days to try and figure out what unlocks my limits..."

"Hm..." another voice said. "Have you thought about Steven?"

Yellow Diamond emerged from the shadows. The young Diamond scoffed at her.

"You think I haven't?"

"Try thinking of him... But with someone else."

The young Diamond sighed.

"Fine. After this, I'm calling it a day."

She closed her eyes. Her aura flared. Her diamond radiated.

"Now," Yellow said, her voice raised. "Imagine Steven with that... _bitch_. Garnet."

"What?"

"Just imagine. That shifting little harlot stole your one true love, what do you think she's doing with him? Picking flowers!?"

Electricity began shooting out of the young Diamond's body. Yellow grinned.

"Yes... Now, remember the rebels we told you about? Bismuth? Lars? What do you think _they're_ doing with him? I wonder what sort of trouble Lars could make Steven get into!"

The young Diamond balled her fists. The ground beneath her began to shake, and broken segments began to rise. She mumbled obscenities to herself as Yellow pointed at the training dummy in the middle of the room, whispering into the youngling's ear.

"See that? That's Lars. And he's just _ff**fucked**_ your boyfriend. Turned him gay. Just like that."

_ ***STOMP* *STOMP* *STOMP*** _

The young Diamond caused the ground to shatter with every angry, hate-filled step she took. Her normally dark skin took on a tinge of green as she pulled a fist back, her aim squarely on the dummy.

"**RrrrrrRRRR_AAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!_**"

She pumped a fist back and then forward, the raw energy emitting from it blasting forth in a visible pulse. It hit the dummy with precision, causing it to explode on impact. Yellow looked on, confident.

"Very good."

Then the young Diamond raised her hand, rising in the air. A small ball of green and black energy gathered in her palm, growing by the second as its light - and mass - soon overtook everything else in the room. The building began to break apart, being absorbed by the mass of the power ball. Blue's eyes widened as she backed off, shielding herself.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOIIIING!? **STOOOOP! YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY THE WHOLE PLANET!**"

All that could be seen was green as the surrounding buildings disintegrated and disappeared into the power ball.

"**CONNIIIIIE! YOU'VE GOT TO STOP IIIIIT!**"

Yellow pushed Blue aside, looking giddy.

"**FANTASTIC**, CONNIE! I ADMIRE YOUR ABILITY TO DESTROY SO MUCH, AND SO SOON!

**"AND _I_ ADMIRE _YOUR_ ABILITY TO _DIE_!"**

Connie effortlessly hurled the massive, city sized power ball at the two Diamonds, making them hold their hands out. Yellow's smile was the widest it had been in centuries.

"What RAW POWER! You're actually making me put effort into this one!"

"**NOOO!**" Blue shouted. "THERE'S STILL PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET! WE HAVE TO ABSORB ITS ENERGY OR ELSE-"

"OOPS!"

Yellow pushed the ball of energy down onto the planet's surface, the mass quickly disappearing beneath the planet's surface before a roaring wall of fire emerged from the crater. The surface began to crack and break apart before the planet itself exploded in a spectacular display of green energy. Then, the energy itself dissipated into nothing. The three Diamonds stood out in barren space. Connie was using her new space breathing powers to their full extent as the green subsided from her naturally dark skin and back into her diamond. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Connie Maheswaran," Yellow said, "on this day forward, you shall be known as... Green Diamond."

Blue Diamond broke down into tears. Yellow grinned at her.

"Cheer up," she said with a sneer. "No one's gonna miss a shithole like Kizuju anyways."


	13. Chapter 12: Coming Home

"Lapis? What're you doing here?"

Steven turned the faucet off and stared at the deep blue gem. 

"Gems don't go to school here."

"I know. I just felt like seeing you."

"You can do that?"

"_I _say I can do that." 

Lapis stepped forward, flipping her hair as Steven began to back away. 

"Steven," she spoke in a hush, "be _very, very quiet._"

She took Steven by the arm, gripping at tightly and almost dragging him into an empty stall. His heart was racing. 

"W- What are you doing?" 

"I know what your mom and Connie do with you. Don't bullshit me, kid."

Her whisper was fierce as she pinned him against the stall wall. He whimpered like a scorned dog and just accepted whatever Lapis would do to him. She crouched down before sliding a hand down his jeans. Then her voice - and his vision - began to fade.

"Don't tell your mother. Or else I'll..."

-

"Uuugh..."

"Hey, bud... Sorry, but I had to. You were screaming in your sleep again."

"...Eh?..."

Steven shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he woke up to the sight of Lars standing over his bed, Lars' hand pulsating with pink energy as it sat on Steven's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that. Using my powers on someone who's sleeping makes 'em real groggy. But it sure beats... You know."

"Wha...? Uh... Thanks..."

Steven's face went red. Lars gave him a smile and a chuckle. 

"Hey, bud. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Uh... Well... If you didn't come, I'd have..."

"Yes. I know. Garnet told me."

Steven raised an eyebrow at Lars. 

"What _didn't_ Garnet tell you?"

"She didn't tell me what hot sauce you like on your chicken wings."

"Ha ha, you're very funny..."

"Seriously, though? There's nothing I don't know about you that Garnet doesn't know. She had to tell me everything you and her went through on the way here, because she knows I wanna help you as much as her."

"Then why are you helping me and not Garnet?"

Lars sighed, sitting at the edge of the bed, his expression indicating he was expecting something negative.

"I'm gonna be honest. Garnet thinks that you'll... have problems confiding in girls."

Steven felt a spike of betrayal as he sat up, fully awake. 

"What!? But I- I don't have problems with girls! I've been around girls for as long as I can remember!"

"Steven, that's the problem. The way those girls treated you is why Garnet handed you to me."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"Steven, don't raise your voice-"

"Why not!?"

"Because I'm trying to help you!"

"You're saying I can't trust girls! But you're wrong!"

"No," Lars exclaimed, losing his patience, "**_you're_** wrong! You just can't see it because your piece of garbage mom brainwashed you! She doesn't love you! She doesn't care about you! She just wants you as a sex object! Her and all her garbage friends, too!"

Lars' fists were clenched; his face was red; he was breathing hard. Steven was on the verge of tears.

"N- no... They love me..."

"No! They! **Don't**! They're lying to you! They've been lying to you for six years!"

"YOU'RE lying!"

"About what!?"

"GO AWAY!"

Steven ran out of the room before Lars could grab him, the young boy soon out of Lars' sight as he went down the elevator. Lars sat back in the bed, feeling himself cool down as he took deep breaths.

_Dammit... Dammit, dammit, dammit... I fucked up... _

-

Steven was huddled in a corner on one of the lower level rooms, the server room, the hums of the rows of servers masking his sobs as he cowered, feeling hurt and nauseous. 

_Lars hates me... Garnet and mom and everyone else hates me, too..._

His crying paused when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't have anywhere to hide. He covered his face with his hands. 

"Wh-! When did you get here!?"

Steven flinched when he heard her voice. It was Jasper. He opened his eyes to see her standing in front of him, her figure towering over his. She put what looked like a phone in her pocket as she knelt down and breathed out sharply. 

"Alright... I'm not mad. I'm just surprised. What're you doing here?"

Steven sniffled as he kept his arms crossed for dear life. 

"I... I made Lars mad at me..."

"You did?... Why?"

"He told me that... Garnet... Garnet gave me to him because... She said I had trust problems with girls..."

Jasper scoffed. 

"Wow. I knew they were hardasses, but wow."

She gave him a pat on the back. 

"Garnet had to tell me some stuff about you, too... Y'know what I say? A few bad experiences with some girls doesn't mean you can't trust girls in general. Right?"

"Eh... Right..."

"You trust your mom. Don'tcha?"

"Yeah..."

"And you trust all your little Gem friends. Right?"

"Uh... Yeah, yeah, I do..."

"So, there ya go. Garnet's full of crap already."

Steven looked down between his legs as Jasper sat beside him, grinning. She gave him a friendly rub on the leg. 

"Say... You've been up here for a week or so, haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"Do you miss your home? You miss your family and friends?"

"...Uh... Well... Yeah."

"Y'know what Garnet would say to that? 'But this is your home, this is your family!'... She'd just take a lot longer to say it than me. But she knows that this ain't shit. Just like you and me know that. This ship ain't your home. She ain't your family. Lars and Bismuth, they ain't your family. I ain't either, but at least I'm honest about that."

Steven was getting scared as he held onto Jasper's hand. 

_They... Have they been... Did they lie to me about everything? _

He took a chance and thought out loud.

"Jasper? I... I think I wanna try and go home..."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"I... Uh... I think I should apologize to them for what I did..."

Jasper chuckled. 

"Don't worry. You won't have to apologize."

"Why not?"

"Trust me. You won't."

Jasper whipped out the phone again, tapping it a few times before holding it up to her ear.

"Yeah? Yeah, it's me... How's the birthday party? Alright, alright... And our new guest?... Have her ready at the port nearest to... location A 3 21 Zeta... Ok. I've already dropped off present number one... See ya in five minutes."

Jasper tapped the phone again before standing up and taking Steven's hand. 

"Come with me."

Steven felt a pit in his stomach as Jasper prepared an energy orb in her hand and used it to disintegrate the phone into nothingness. Jasper smirked as she looked over at the scared young human, the orb fading into light.

"What? I needed the latest model anyways."

-

"I... I'm real sorry. I lost my temper..."

"Lars, you don't lose your temper! What happened with you and Steven!?"

"I just told you! I was honest with him about why you wouldn't work with him!"

Garnet covered her face with her hands so Lars couldn't see her roll her eyes. 

"So, he ran off before you could calm him down? And you didn't go looking for him?"

"I figured it would be best to go to you than waste time searching every nook and cranny of-"

"That's enough, you two!"

Garnet and Lars snapped into attention. Bismuth had come up. 

"We can fight later. Right now there's a bigger problem."

Bismuth tapped on the control panel at the head of the ship. Instead of the normal screens indicating things like navigation and threats, they were a flashing mess of colors and code. Bismuth turned around, glaring at the two as she pointed at the screens.

"Allow me to introduce a friend from the old Earth. Computer viruses, everyone! Gotta love those STUXNET-Celerium hybrids!"

She slammed a fist onto the control panel in frustration. 

"Damn thing's been modified to fry all our systems to hell! And guess who was in the server room just before the virus hit us!?"

"Steven?" Lars asked. 

"No, _imbecile!_ Jasper! As if that's a shock!"

"So, what do we do?" asked Garnet. 

"Us? Right now? **Nothing**! We're **fucked**!"

Bismuth sat down on the floor... Then she looked back up at the two, a grave realization setting in. 

"If you don't know where Steven is, then-"

She sprung into action, heading down the hatch and making her way towards the docking bay. 

_Dammit, dammit, shit, piss, fuck!_

The entrance to the docking bay was open. 

_C'mon, c'mon-!_

The bay was then rattled by the scraping of the large, green ship, a shaking so violent that it nearly threw Bismuth to the floor. She held onto the wall and looked on as the green ship Garnet and Steven came in on over a week ago disembarked and flew off. Bismuth walked out into the empty docking bay. 

"...You fucking _COCK SMOKING **MOTHER FUCKER!**_"

Bismuth took off a shoe and threw it at the energy field between them and empty space. Clenching her fists, she fell to her knees, punching the floor, despite how much it hurt. 

"**_GOD DAMN IT MOTHER FUCKER!_** I KNEW THE MOMENT I SAW HER I SHOULD'VE SHOT HER RIGHT IN THE GEM!!"

Lars and Garnet came in soon after, both realizing what had just happened. Bismuth stood up, swallowing her anger. 

"Bismuth," Lars said apologetically, "I fucked up. I lost my shit. That won't bring Steven back, but for what it's worth... I fucked up. I'm sorry."

"No, Lars. I'm sorry," Bismuth replied as she started to walk out of the docking bay. "I fucked up. Because I should've iced that _cocksucker_ back when we got you."

-

Steven felt the butterflies flapping around in his stomach as he stared into empty space. Jasper wasn't kidding - she was really going to send him back to his family. His hands were shaking. Small beads of his sweat floated in the zero-gravity environment. He was going back to his mom. To Connie. To the other Crystal Gems. What were they going to say to him? His mind raced through scenarios about how badly they would take him running away and being missing for over a week's time.

"Hey, kid," Jasper said out of the blue. "Check the sleeping quarters. There's a surprise for you in there."

Steven jolted back to reality.

"Uh- s- s- sure thing..."

"That wasn't an order, it was a-"

Steven got out of the copilot seat and floated down the main walkway before she could finish. He felt his tension pulsing through his arteries as he held a hand out in front of the door to the bedroom quarters.

_Please, please don't let it be Connie... And if it is, please let her be happy to see me!_

He opened the door, his eyes closed as he floated inside. Slowly opening them back up, the 'surprise' was right in front of him.

"Wh... White?"

White Diamond was uncomfortably crammed in one of the 'bed' chambers, almost covered head to toe in strange gear. Her diamond was covered, and her feet and hands were bound as before. But this time, her mouth was covered, too, and her normal dress was completely gone.

"Like it, kid?"

Steven turned his head to see Jasper behind him, her large, naked figure in the doorway.

"Snuck her in here before I dropped off a present for those assholes. She's a lot prettier when she isn't spewing moralizing bullshit, isn't she?"

Jasper gradually floated towards the fidgeting Steven, the door closing behind her.

"Not like you'd know anything about that. The White I know's just as kid-nappy and kid-happy as your mom. This?"

She opened the stasis chamber, making White float up, her eyes on Steven as Jasper continued.

"This isn't her. She got zapped up and replaced with some wishy-washy, uptight prick about fifty years ago. That's my theory. Or maybe she got cold feet once you humans came into play. And then she couldn't stand up for what she believed in. For the protection of boy gems. For _our_ Authority. Because she was so worried about our customs making you humans unhappy!"

Jasper floated behind White, then harshly pushed her towards the wall, a wide grin on the gem's face as she floated back towards Steven.

"I'm honestly surprised it was Pink who ended up having a kid with a human. This gal here would have turned traitor _for real_ if we ever went to war with your species! Not like she'd save you from losing!"

She grabbed the back of Steven's shirt and slowly moved the both of them towards a floating, helpless White.

"Now, I don't see eye to eye with your mom on much, but we _do_ agree on something - we want the old White back. The best way she thinks to do that? Get her to change her mind. Waste of time, I say. Instead..."

Jasper ripped the front off of Steven's jeans and undies with a single forceful tug, the back of his clothes floating off of his backside. She groped him.

"I say we give her what she's been missing."

Steven felt his heart drop into his guts. He knew exactly what she meant as she pushed him towards White. He saw the fear in White's eyes, meeting them with the fear in his own. White shook her head at him. He almost instinctively knew what she would say.

_Don't._

_Don't make her do this to you. Stop her from doing this by any way you can._

"What're you two staring at each other for? Start fucking already!"

Jasper's grin began to fade as Steven refused to move. She pushed him again, his belly slapping against White's upper groin.

"What the fuck are you waiting for, kid? Fuck her."

"No."

"The fuck do you mean, no?"

"I'm not gonna do this to her! If you want me-"

"I want you to fuck her!"

"And I don't wanna! I'll fuck _you_, instead!"

Jasper raised an eyebrow before grinning at the young human.

"Ooh... Nice save. But we both know you're bluffing."

"N- No, I'm not! I'll show you!"

He took his shirt off and latched onto Jasper's sides. Jasper laughed out loud as she rustled Steven's hair.

"Alright, alright! I get it, you're serious!"

She stepped back, and the pair floated towards the 'bed' that White was kept in. As Jasper grabbed the side, laid down, and spread her legs in front of him, Steven thought back on some of the things Amethyst and Peridot 'taught' him.

_Uh... Am would probably tell me... I should start with some... foreplay..._

Displaying false confidence, he gently rubbed his young member up against Jasper's crotch. He began slowly, gradually increasing his pace as the seconds passed, his member hardening as it prodded against her clit and opening. But Jasper was an impatient gem.

"Hah! Fuck, kid, hurry the hell up! We're gonna reach the port by the time you put it in!"

Without hesitation, Steven plunged his 'cock' inside her, a slimy feeling creeping up his back as he gripped her hips and began to thrust. He started out as slow as could be, being careful not to go through the motions too obviously, thrusting in a rhythm just like Am showed him. Just like that, Jasper began to thrust back, beginning to pant as the two synchronized their pumps. Steven lifted Jasper's legs and soon started ramming her as hard as his ten-year-old body would let him. Jasper yelped in delight.

"Ohhh, _fuuuck_! I'm being drilled by a _fucking ten year old!_... And he's actually doing a decent job!"

The zero-grav environment allowed Steven to flip Jasper on her side with much less effort than it would take on the ground. Jasper looked down, in equal parts excitement and anticipation, giggling like a schoolgirl, as Steven spread her orange pussy womanhood and pushed hard inside her. He slowly went out, then back in, out faster, in faster. Steven felt what Am called 'pre-cum' leaking from the tip of his penis. 

"D- dammit... Dammit, Jasper, I..."

"DO IT!"

Jasper looked down at Steven with a wide, almost evil grin as the young human grabbed one of her legs and pushed hard inside her. He bucked his hips forward, his sack-shaped privates slapping against her skin. He felt his heart pumping hard and fast.

"I... I'm... I'm cumming!!"

He pushed inside her once more as he came. His legs began to wobble as he finished inside her, like his mom and the others had taught him to do, and laid his head on Jasper's big belly. He felt a pat on the head.

"Damn," Jasper said softly. "Guess I was wrong. All that fucking with Amethyst really did teach you something."

"...Huh?"

"Heheh. Yeah, I scroll through some of your _family photos_ from time to time."

She wolf whistled as she gripped the side of the 'bed' and sat upright, floating to the door.

"You didn't make me cum," she gloated. "Looks like we'll have something to work on once we get you back."

She chuckled to herself as she closed the door, leaving Steven and White alone. The rush of pleasure had worn off entirely for Steven. He felt sick. He floated over towards White, who looked down at the gag in her mouth. Steven unfastened it, causing her to breathe in sharply.

"Steven... Steven, I... I'm sorry-y-y!"

White began to tear up as Steven hugged her, wrapping his arms around her chest and shedding a few tears himself.

"Please don't be sorry, White. I had to do it to keep you safe."

"No, you didn't..."

"I... I know..."

He held her for a few minutes, allowing her to cry on his sleeve. Then, she gazed into his eyes with a cold, somber stare.

"Steven, never forget that this isn't normal. None of this is normal."

"I know."

The two held each other silently for a few minutes more until the ship's automated announcement came on.

***DOCKING POSITION SET. PLEASE SECURE YOURSELF AS- KZZ-TS!***

"God I HATE this fuckin' thing," the two heard Jasper exclaim, her exclamation coinciding with a loud banging noise up above them. Steven snickered a bit at Jasper's outburst; White smiled lightly as teardrops floated off of her face..

"Steven... That's good."

"What is?"

"You found something to laugh at. Even better, you found a _certain someone_ to laugh at."

"Hehe... Yeah. I guess that is a good thi-"

He was interrupted by a shaking sensation, and the two fell to the floor, White on top of Steven. They looked back at each other before bursting out into laughter... which suddenly stopped once they heard the pilot chamber's doors opening. Quickly, Steven got out from under White and put the gag back in her mouth, sitting her upright.

"I'm really sorry," he whispered to her.

"Mmphs mm-mmph," her muffled voice responded as Jasper opened the door and threw a pair of pants inside.

"Found those in the storage closet," she grumbled, "I guess Garnet was stocking up just for you." Jasper grabbed White and hoisted her over her shoulder. "Now, get 'em on and come along."

Steven swiftly fit the pants on, despite the discomfort of wearing pants without undies, and went down the ladder to the ship's exit. Jasper was already there, White helpless over her shoulder as she faced Steven.

"Steven?"

"Yes?"

"On the other side of this door is the galaxy's greatest secret."

"...Huh?"

"Yup. This door's gonna open and you'll be looking right in the eyes of the most powerful diamond since the Diamonds were formed."

The ramp behind them lowered. Jasper's grin was as wide as ever.

"She's the most dangerous of all the Diamonds! She can destroy entire planets with an energy ball the size of her fingertip! No force or being in the galaxy can control her! I introduce to you..."

Jasper stepped aside.

"Green Diamond!"

Steven looked ahead. No one was in front of the ramp. He stuck his head out.

"Hello?"

"Boo!"

"AH!- C- Connie!?"

Connie was just outside the field of view of the ramp, standing on the ramp to an adjacent ship. Steven stepped out, and Connie ran up to him, hugging him tightly.

"I've missed you so much, Steven!"

"Wha...? I thought you'd be mad at me?"

"I'd never be mad at you for going missing, Steven!"

"Uh... Heheh, uh, thanks..."

Steven felt a sense of warmth as his girlfriend hugged him, which faded when she suddenly pulled away.

"Jasper?... I'm sensing a lot of negative energy from him."

Jasper chuckled.

"Hope you don't mind the... freshly used goods. It was his idea to-"

"I told you not to touch him."

"I bent the rules a bit, because it was his idea-"

"You don't bend the rules with me. When I say bring him back untouched, I meant-"

"Why do you care so much? You're gonna touch him anyways!"

Connie shot Jasper an angry look.

"You didn't listen to me. His negative energy's through the roof. We're gonna have to wait even longer for the forging now!"

"Oh, yeah? And who's gonna do it? You? The kid's mom? What kind of shitty color comes from pink and green, anyways?"

Connie was dead silent as she glared at Jasper. In an instant, White was standing beside Steven, and Connie was behind Jasper. Jasper's eyes widened in furious shock as a blinding green light emerged from behind her.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?"

"YOU'RE RIGHT, JASPER! **_NOBODY CAN CONTROL ME!_**"

Connie effortlessly shoved Jasper forward before pushing an energy sphere in her back, Jasper's screaming soon silenced as her form was absorbed by the light, the orb shrinking into nothing as Jasper's gem dropped to the floor. Steven and White looked on in stunned silence as Connie picked up Jasper's gem, a deep green aura in her hand as Jasper's gem shined brightly.

"Wh... What're you..." Steven trailed off.

"I'm making sure she never hurts you for the rest of our lives," Connie spoke with a quiet rage before tossing Jasper's gem away from her. Suddenly, Jasper's form reappeared in mid-air as she crashed to the ground.

"Owww..."

Her skin was still orange, but now she had light green markings across her face and body. She rubbed her head, getting on her hands and knees and standing back up, looking dizzy.

"What... What just happened?"

Connie looked much happier as she took Jasper's hand.

"You tripped coming down and bonked your head. You're so silly!"

"Huh? Eheheh, yeah, I guess that was really silly!"

"Yup! So, who am I?"

"Uh... You're... Green... Diamond?"

"Well, yes! But who am I also?"

"Uh... I... think... you're..."

Steven could see the gears grinding to a halt in Jasper's head. He looked confused - what did Connie do to her? How did she change her personality so radically?

"Oh, yeah... You're my mama," Jasper continued. Connie beamed with happiness.

"Yes! Good girl! And who's he?"

Connie pointed at Steven, making Jasper turn towards him.

"Big... brother?"

"Yup," Connie said as she gave Jasper a pat on the back. "Now, all the other Diamonds are waiting for us! Let's get onto my ship real fast, ok?"

"Ok!"

Jasper took Connie's hand as Steven and White stared in stunned confusion. Connie led Jasper to a small, four seat cruiser before motioning towards the other two.

"You gonna come with or no?"

Steven looked up at White, then back to Connie.

"She's kinda... restrained. She can't move her legs-"

Then, White abruptly left his side, sitting perfectly in one of the seats in the cruiser. Steven bolted towards the cruiser without a word, knowing that Connie did that somehow. He crossed his legs as the roof extended over them, and the cruiser began to float.

"You can fly a ship?" asked Steven.

"Wha...? Oh, no, silly! I can't even drive a car yet! I just used the autopilot to get here."

She tapped a few buttons at the control panel, and soon, they were off. Connie and Jasper in front, Steven and White in back. Steven looked over at White, whose eyes told him everything. She was scared. Steven took one of her bound hands and gave her a smile.

"White? Uh... I'm not good at saying nice things, but... You'll be fine."


	14. Chapter 13: Dust to Dust

"Are we there yet, Connie?"

"Homeworld's literally right there, Jas."

"It is?- YAAAAAAY!"

"Don't be so loud! You know how much Steven doesn't like loud noises."

"Aww..."

Jasper turned back, reaching her hand out to Steven.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. Will you forgive me?"

Steven stared at Jasper's hand before shaking it.

"Y- yeah."

"Aw, Steven, you don't look so happy. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," he said as he looked out the window and towards the Gem Homeworld. "I'm just real nervous to see everyone again."

As the ship descended into the planet's atmosphere, Steven stared out at the bustling cityscape that was the Gem Homeworld's capital city of Malachite. He wasn't listening as Connie explained how its large, crystalline formations were hollowed out into living quarters for up to several thousands of gems, and how the smaller structures functioned as nurseries for younger gems. He simply stared out at the vibrant, bright colors he would likely never see from Earth's city skylines, if only to keep his thoughts focused on something other than the inevitable. But it wasn't even fifteen seconds when the ship was surrounded by what had to be dozens of other, slightly bigger ships, each with gems and humans alike poking out cameras from the windows of their ships. Steven's face was as red as a beet as he tried to ignore all the cameras staring at him.

"Connie? What's with all the-"

"Cameras? You don't know how big your story's gotten?"

"No!"

"Wow, they really kept you in the dark, didn't they? You really didn't expect the manhunt for Pink Diamond's son to be the largest in the galaxy? To be fair, we almost got you when you were out with another gem. What was her name... Garnet? Shame that those old Gem ships aren't easy to track. Eh well. Once we catch up to her and her rebel friends, we'll make sure they'll get punished under the full extent of the New Authority's unlawful child abduction laws."

"W- what!? But they didn't kidnap me! And they didn't hurt me, either-"

"Oh, yes, they did," Connie said with a grin. "In fact, they've been running a big ring of child sexual exploitation for decades. And all those gems who were in the old Authority just secretly turned sides before they were found mysteriously shattered."

"...No. You can't just lie like that to-"

"Watch and learn," she said as the ship flew inside the industrial-sized parking bay and self deactivated.

"Your destination has been reached," the automated voice said as the bubble top went back into the car. Jasper and Connie hopped out as Steven opened his door, grabbing White and reluctantly dragging her along by the arm, covering her privates with another hand to spare her a small shade of humiliation. Connie looked back at the two with a sneer.

"If only there was a way to instantly give her some clothes... Oh yeah. I know."

Steven caught a green glow radiating from her belly, and in a split second, White was wearing a black t-shirt that read _"CHILD ABUSER"_ in large, white print, and orange slacks similar to that of an Earthling prison inmate. White looked down at herself in shock, then at the floor in shame as Steven dragged her inside the building. Jasper had gone on ahead and called the elevator, and seemed to be very excited as the other three entered along with her. Connie elbow nudged Steven in the side.

"Heheh. Given what your mom told me, that shirt isn't lying."

-

The elevator took Steven and company up to a room that was completely dark. Connie gave Steven a pat on the back beford pushing him forward into the darkness. Steven gulped in fear as he took a few steps forward.

"Uh... Hello? Whoever's in here... It's me. Steven Universe."

There was a short silence before the lights suddenly turned on.

"**SURPRIIISE!**"

In front of Steven were all the Diamonds and Crystal Gems, beaming with happiness in front of the Diamond's thrones... except for Yellow, of course, who rolled her eyes and crossed her legs as she sat on her own throne. Pink saw this and harshly nudged her, making her groan.

"Welcome back," Yellow said with absolutely no enthusiasm. Peridot blew a party noise maker before tossing it to the floor and running up to Steven, hugging him with all her heart and soul.

"You're back!! We missed you so much, Steven!!"

Steven had a very confused, almost distressed look on his face as he hugged back out of courtesy, the rest of the Gems gathering around him.

"You guys... You're not mad at me? I abandoned all of you..."

"You didn't abandon us," Amethyst softly spoke. "You wanted to follow your own path for once, which we all respect... But you could have at least had something to eat before you left, right?"

The other Gems laughed at Amethyst's joke. Steven's face remained red as he forced a chuckle.

"Y- yeah... So, uh... What now?"

"Now?" Pink asked. "Now is when we ask White to join us."

Everyone went silent. Yellow's face almost contorted into an evil smile as she brought the bound White to Steven.

"Yes... Yes, exactly. And our good friend Jasper might have done something about that, right?"

Jasper looked back at Yellow, unfazed.

"Eh?"

"...'Eh'? What do you mean, 'eh'? You've helped Steven change White's mind, didn't you?"

Steven could sense the argument beginning to develop, as could White. White shuffled a tad closer to Steven as the bickering between Yellow and Jasper began in earnest.

"Green and I gave you direct orders to force Steven onto her! How do you just forget that, imbecile!?"

"I- I'm really sorry! I dunno what you're talking about!"

"Liar! Give me your cellular communication device!"

"She destroyed it," Connie interjected. "She had to to keep the rebels off her and our trails!"

"What!? FOOL! Why in the galaxy would she-"

"It's called _undercover work_, you... black hole of... practical knowledge!"

"How **_DARE_** you insult the one who gave you your diamond, you _insolent_ little **_worm_**!?"

White knelt down in front of Steven as their two biggest threats were distracted. The other Crystal Gems stared in awe and wonder.

"That's so cute," Amethyst said, "White's already respecting Steven's authority!"

Quickly, Steven undid the covering around White's gem.

"WHAT ARE YOU IMBECILES DOING!?" Yellow exclaimed. "**STOP THEM!**"

Steven hugged White Diamond, and in a fraction of a second, they were in White Diamond's room. He let go, breathing in deep as he sat on the side of White's bed. He looked up to see White in the flowing, clear dress he recognized. She sat with him on the bed, running her fingers through his black, puffy hair.

"Steven? I... I honestly didn't think that would work!"

She smiled brightly, Steven sitting up straight as he grinned back.

"Me neither!"

They hugged tenderly for a few moments, Steven feeling something warm and fuzzy inside him as he embraced White's gentle touch. He couldn't put his finger on it until he nuzzled his head against her belly and looked up at her smile.

_This was love._

This was real, hopeful, caring, motherly love. This was a love that no one else had shown him ever since he was four. He slowly broke the hug and took White's hand, smiling back at her.

"I... Thank you... You're really nice..."

"You're welcome, Steven."

An idea began to form in Steven's head.

"Hey, what was that planet you said you were from?"

"Heh... Technically, I'm from this planet. But my home's a planet called Kizuju. And the best part? It's so out of the way, even the Diamonds have a hard time getting there. Not that they don't know where it us, but-"

"Can I go there?"

"Sure," White said as she stuck her palm out in the air. "Let's go there together."

A spacetime rift opened from the energy pulse White sent out, the two hopefully looking inside it.

There wasn't anything there.

Steven stared back at White, a look of confusion and anxiety on her face.

"Huh?"

She sent out another pulse. Still, nothing.

"Well... Maybe I made a mistake. Let's try it from another angle."

Another pulse, and this time the system's sun was in view. Nothing. White began to look scared as she reached into her bedside dresser and pulled out a cell phone.

"I'm so glad I didn't get rid of this thing," she mumbled as she tapped the screen a few times. Several seconds later, she sat back on the bed. The phone dropped from her hands. Her eyes were wide open in apparent shock before they began to water.

"...Damn it..."

She hugged Steven much more tightly than before, banging a closed fist on his back.

"Damn it, damn it, **damn it!**"

She sobbed loudly over his head. Steven gazed over at the phone she dropped.

"_Investigation into planet's mysterious destruction ongoing,_" read the headline in the center of the screen.

"Oh no," Steven said in a hush as he patted and rubbed her back. He knew. And he didn't have anything to say to make it better. What do you say to someone who's just lost not just their home, but their home's planet? He nuzzled her belly again, her sobbing growing quiet as they hugged it out for a few seconds more. Then, she swiftly broke the hug, a look of melancholic determination on her face as she sat on her knees in front of him.

"Steven? You..."

White pointed her fingers at the gem in her forehead. It looked like it was... loosening, somehow.

"You deserve _so much better_..."

Her gem slowly slid out of its socket, her fingers psychokinetically doing all the work. Steven stared on in anxious terror, feeling powerless to stop her. Then, the gem popped out. She exhaled deeply, smiling as she pushed the gem into Steven's forehead. The closest thing Steven could compare the sensation to was a blood test from when he was younger - but this almost felt painless. Before he could collect his thoughts, White gripped the back of his head, smiling as wide as she possibly could as _the look_ set in on her face. The look he'd seen in TV and movies when someone was about to die. She kissed him on the lips for a short moment.

"Steven... I'll be... fine... and so..."

Her eyes rolled back into her head. Her figure collapsed into diamond dust on the floor. Steven was in a state of shock. He held his hand out towards where she was. His heart raced with raw fear.

"Uh... White... You can come out now..."

Silence.

Then his forehead began to burn.

"Ow... Ow! Nngh-! **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!**"

The worst physical pain he had ever felt tortured every nerve in his body. His head felt like splitting in half. He grabbed at the gem, trying to pull it out as he felt it pulse, but the fiery pain made it hard to do anything other than lay there and scream. He heard the door opening over his screaming, faintly catching a glimpse of Connie through his fading vision.

"Steven? **Steven!? _STEVEN!_**... Oh my god..."

Without warning, he blacked out.

-

"Nnn, nnnnngh..."

"Steven?... He's waking up!"

Steven couldn't make out a thing of what he was seeing. His vision was a mess of grey, the solid objects in his field of view obscured by the blood vessels in the back of his eyes. His whole body felt tingly and fatigued. His face felt like it was going to melt off of his head. He thought he could see something that looked like his mother enter his field of vision. 

"Mom?... Am I... dead?"

"What? No, sweetheart," he barely heard his mother say. "You, uh... You... You absorbed White's gem. You're White Diamond now."

"...uh... Uh-huh..."

Steven didn't have the energy to comprehend much of anything, let alone what his mother had just told him. He closed his eyes again, his legs spread and his arms at his sides. He did everything in his power not to soil himself as he heard his mother speak words of white noise to the crowd of cameras that had gathered. He looked around to see that he was back in the throne room of the Diamonds. All the other Diamonds and Crystal Gems were seated and standing around him.

"Thank you for coming," he deciphered from his mother. "Dismissed."

Steven gradually felt less and less like regurgitating his stomach contents as he watched human and gem alike pour into the elevator, one group at a time. His mother sat at his side, placing a hand against his forehead.

"You were out for a few minutes... I was starting to get scared that we'd lose you for good... my Diamond."

Pink held him close, and she was soon joined by Connie, Blue Diamond, Amethyst, and all of the others... except Yellow, who angrily stared at him from her throne. He felt hands all over him from all directions as he sunk back and closed his eyes, falling asleep.


	15. Chapter 14: Power and Bloodline

Steven rolled over onto his back as his consciousness gradually faded back in. His eyes gazed at the ceiling in emptiness. He recognized the pattern on the ceiling, where the walls and lights were, what color it was. He was back home. His eyes adjusted to the low light as he stood on his two feet. He shook his head, using the couch as support before looking around. Something was obviously wrong with the house. The normally vibrant colors were muted. The general state of the place looked dusty and decrepit. And outside the windows was a thick fog, which wasn't normal at all for the land around his house.

"Hello? Mom? Amethyst? Garnet? Anyone?"

Steven didn't get the faintest response. He felt an exhaustion like none other as he sat on the couch and grabbed the TV remote. The power button didn't work, although he expected that, given his surroundings. He tossed it on the coffee table, laying back and looking down. Then something hit him with full force. Something he had overlooked initially. His skin was a pure, radiant white. Staring at his hands in confused horror, he leapt off of the couch and ran upstairs.

_Maybe this is just a dream,_ he thought. _I'll get better if I sleep it off!_

He sped towards the door to his room, gripping the handle for dear life as he jiggled it to no avail.

"Oh _come on_," he shouted. "My room doesn't even have a _lock_!"

"Stop that."

Steven froze. The monotone voice of an older woman came from the other side of the door.

"You're disturbing me," it spoke again.

"What...? _You're_ the one disturbing me, 'cause you're in _my room_!"

"This isn't your room."

"Yes it is!"

"I refer you to my previous answer."

"How is that _not_ my room?"

"I don't have to answer all of your inane questions, do I?"

"Yes!"

"Oh?... Are you that important?"

Steven sighed as he sat against his door, his arms around his legs.

"C'mon, please?... Can you at least tell me why my skin's all white?"

The voice was silent, but Steven persisted.

"How about your name? My name's Steven. Can you tell me your name?"

The voice remained silent for several seconds before it spoke up again.

"I am no one. All I desire is a nexus."

"A nexus?... What's that?"

"A bridge between the two Yous."

"What are you talking about?"

He didn't get an answer.

"If I find you this... _nexus_ thingy," he continued, "will you let me inside?"

The house was quiet for a few seconds longer.

"I can't promise you," the voice said.

Then, Steven's head began to feel fuzzy. His fingers and toes went into spasms. He laid flat on the floor as his body began to shake.

"Malachite," the voice said before Steven's vision began to grey. "My name is Malachite."

-

Steven woke up in a dark room, his breathing hard as he sensed pins and needles throughout his extremities. He felt sweaty and nauseous, and there was a mild burning in his forehead.

"Nngh... Aaauuuuughhhh..."

He let out an agonized groan before he sensed chilly fingers running through his hair.

"Steven? I know you're not exactly doing alright, but... Can you speak to me?"

He recognized Blue's voice without fail.

"B... Blue?"

"Yes! Pink, come in here," she yelled, making the sensitive Steven wince. "He's back up!"

Pink opened the door and turned the light on, making Steven close his eyes for a second as they adjusted to the light. In no time, his mother was cuddling up with him on the bed, tears streaming down her face as she spoke in a hush.

"Steven, my diamond... We're so glad to have you back."

"...Huh? I just went back to sleep, though... How long has it been?" 

"It's been a few hours since you last woke up... Blue, can you please leave?"

Without a word, Blue Diamond stood from the bed and exited the room. Pink held Steven close and tenderly as she continued.

"Stevie... Your gem..."

Pink was holding a mirror in her other hand. She held it up to Steven's face, his eyes springing to attention and moving straight to his forehead.

The gem was as black as night.

"What the-? That was white when I got it," he said.

"I know," Pink replied. "And the reason why it isn't now is gonna sound real confusing to you."

"Why?"

Pink sighed as she held Steven close, kissing him on his new black gem.

"Because I need to do some explaining."

"About what?"

"I'll have to simplify it - so, Diamonds can manipulate positive and negative energies. For example, Blue and I can manipulate positive energies while Yellow and Green do the same with negative. Blue and I mend wounds and heal scars. Yellow and Green, eh... I assume you found out what happened to that one planet. That was Green's work."

"Connie destroyed a...? Why!?"

Pink's hand glowed bright as she touched his arm. Immediately, Steven felt at peace.

"Sorry about that... I don't want to go down _that_ rabbit hole right now. So, the problem with your gem is that you're based around negative energies, but... **_Her_** gem is a positive energy gem. And none of us can fix that because none of us have ever seen anything like this in Gem history."

She took her hand off of him and reclined along with him in bed.

"So... That's the short version. I don't have time for the long version."

"Huh? Why not?"

Steven's eyes narrowed as he watched his mother reach for her top, undoing it in front of him.

"Because you made me a promise," she spoke in a stern hush. "**And I intend to keep it.**"

"N... No, mom, I can't-"

"**Yes. You. Can.** Your gem's malfunctioning, but everything else about you isn't."

Steven gulped as he preemptively began taking his clothes off. His mother was here. And it wasn't the mother she pretended to be to everyone else. This was the mother who would take him down to the green room after a rough day at work and film them _playing games_. The mother who would walk into his room after dark and touch him. The mother who smiled and touched herself as she watched his girlfriend violate him. The mother who once told him they were going to 'fuck' before he could even comprehend what that word meant. That was the Pink Diamond that Steven knew.

"Now," Pink said as she removed the last of her clothes, "every good empire has a royal bloodline. And I want the Quartz' royal bloodline to be the longest and purest."

Steven was too scared to make a comment as he laid flat on the bed, his legs spread and his arms at his sides as he stared up at his looming mother. She ran a hand across his belly and thighs, gazing at him with a contemptuous lust.

"So, for our bloodline to be both of those things... I think you know what we have to do. You understand how babies are made, right?"

Steven nodded his head, his gaze betraying his lie. Pink saw through it, frowning.

"Of course you don't. Well, then, it's time for a firsthand lesson."

Pink's hand emitted an aura once more as she gripped Steven, sending him into a light numbness as she mounted him, beginning the act of intercourse. Steven's head spun, feeling something bubbling up inside him as the minutes passed. He sensed the insertion, the penetration, the juices, the... everything. But it was all second to this strange crackling feeling. Then the numbness ended as her aura faded from her hand. She then gripped his arms with both hands, forcing herself onto him with a ferocity he hadn't seen since their first time.

"Damn it, Steven... If only that... _stupid **bitch**_ didn't..."

She laid on top of him, her hips bucking forward, forcing him inside her as she wrapped her arms around his comparably small body and head with ease. His face was forced into her lower chest as she pumped away, her hips slamming against his. Crackles of black electricity shot out from his hands, making Pink grumble and curse under her breath.

"Oh, no, you don't..."

Her hands glowed again and soon Steven was back to numbness, although the effect wasn't nearly as powerful as energies compounded inside him. His mother looked angrier and angrier as he felt less and less numb. Her aura flared up, its intense light the brightest thing in the room as she latched herself onto him. But even her maximum power wasn't enough to keep Steven entranced. Gradually, he raised his hands up to his mother's arms, looking her in her unnaturally furious eyes.

"S- stop... Stop, mom..."

Pink's aura flared down as small bursts of lightning shot from his gem and fingertips. Pink's teeth clenched, she gave one more push against him, then got off, fluids leaking from between her legs. She got off the bed and began to put her clothes back on.

"Fine. You were doing terrible, anyways. But the second you get that... _**thing**_ sorted out, we're doing this again. And you _won't_ disobey your mother when that time comes."

The door slammed shut. Steven was alone again, his consciousness beginning to fade. He was too separated from any emotion to have any reaction to what had just happened. Electricity sparking from his fingertips, his vision blurred into blackness as he lost consciousness again.

-

"Malachite?"

"You're back."

"Yeah, I am..."

"Do you have a nexus?"

"No."

"Then we have nothing to talk about."

"But we do," Steven said. "I need someone to talk to, Malachite."

"You don't want to talk to me," the voice replied. "I've done terrible things, Steven."

"Well then I'll just talk to you. How about that?"

The voice didn't answer back, not like he expected it to.

"Okay, here goes... I think my mom hates me. I think she hates me because I'm not a gem like her. She always called me her little gem, her little diamond, this and that. Never her little human, or her little homo sapien, or whatever gems call us. And this whole stuff with my new gem... My gem isn't working. And I can tell that mom hates that. Even worse is when-"

"Steven," the voice replied, "I have a... surprise for you. It's about your mother."

"Oh, really? Well, I don't feel like talking to you," Steven said as he crossed his arms and looked away. 

"Look at the end of the hall," the voice spoke. Steven closed his eyes.

"Nope, nuh-uh, not gonna look, 'cause I've done some non-specific bad things that I won't elaborate on."

Steven kept his composure for a whole six seconds before opening his eyes and slowly turning towards the door at the end of the hall.

"Well... Maybe just a tiny peek..."

He got up and walked towards the door, opening it up. In front of him was a massive, dark blue and black void. His eyes widened as he stuck a hand out.

"Woah..."

Without having to consciously think about what he was doing, his hand entered the void, the space rippling like a stone tossed in a pond before he stepped forward, arms wide open and fell into the expanse.

** _\--Five years after the Universe Concordat--_ **

"It's so good to see you!"

"I know, right!? And before you ask - Steven's coming along just fine."

"Wow, really?"

"Yup! Last year, he told me himself how much he wanted to..."

The voice of his mother became indecipherable gibberish as he hid behind one of the cherry blossom trees, the thin trunk woefully inadequate for covering his figure.

"So," Blue said, "about the... _You know what?_"

"You can just say it, Blue. It's not like anyone's watching us."

"I dunno, it feels so weird to say it out loud."

"Heheh... Hey, everyone! Me and Blue wanna curb-stomp the peace treaty and make a new Diamond Authority! Anyone wanna come blast us to smitheroons?"

Blue looked aghast as Pink mischevously smirked back at her.

"I... I believe the correct term is smithereens, Pink..."

"Ooh, has someone been learning some human lingo?"

"N- No! I, just... I just like watching old timey human films..."

"Old timey? You mean films from when they still used the Gregorian calendar?"

"You... Shut up," Blue said with a smile. Then their conversation seemed to fast forward for several seconds, Steven externally confused and internally cringing at what he had just seen.

_That's what they used to be like?... They're so dorky!_

Then the conversation began to play normally again, Steven listening in closely.

"Then, once Steven has his gem, I'll fix his flawed human hardwiring and replace it with our own."

"Fascinating. Next, will you wring your hands and tell me about how you'll dominate the galaxy with an army of inbred super children? Because I'd be perfectly happy with _one_ kid, if I were you!"

"Hah hah, very funny. But seriously, have you seen the results of human inbreeding? If I don't fix those genetic bugs before he hits puberty, then our kids be _so_ genetically disadvantaged that they'll _actually believe_ that Steven's dad was killed because of cross-colony tension!"

"A lot of humans must be inbred, then!"

The two laughed out loud as Steven stepped out from the tree, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

_What?_ he thought. _Then how did dad die?_

"What was the idiot's first name?" Pink asked. "I can't even remember, he's so irrelevant. I'll definitely have to drop the Universe from Steven's name once our Authority is reinstated."

Cherry blossom petals grazed past Steven as he clenched his fists, trudging towards his mother.

"You're talking about my _DAD_!"

"Y'know," Blue said without even noticing Steven, "watching you talk about our Authority's return warms my heart. You have such a passion for it, and you look so happy, too! I haven't seen you this happy since your first time with Steven... Or when he was born... Or when you _blasted a hole through his dad's back!_"

"That escalated quickly!" Pink said with a hearty chuckle.

"I know it did, I was there! Ahahahahah!"

Steven's pupils shrunk. He dropped to his knees.

"You... You killed my dad?... You killed my dad..."

Black lightning shot from his arms and legs, and white energy began to gather in his palms as tears streamed down his face.

"You killed my dad... You killed my dad..."

He put his hands together before raising them above his head, aiming at the oblivious pair.

"**YOU KILLED MY _DAAAAAAAAD_!**"

He threw the volatile power ball at them, his thoughts entirely focused on revenge and malice as-

-

In an instant, he was back in front of the door to his room, his hands against the door as he slammed his open palms against it. But the physical pain of hitting his hands on the door was nothing compared to the pain what he had just seen. He was on his knees again, banging his fists against the door as he began to sniffle.

"My... My dad's dead... And my mom killed him..."

He fell to the floor and curled up in a ball.

"Why... Why did you show me that?..."

"I'm sorry," Malachite responded, her monotonous voice showing a rare glimpse of emotion as Steven cried on the floor. "I can't imagine how badly it hurt for you to hear that."

Steven remained on the floor, rocking himself as he cried his loudest, unable to speak.

"I... I'm very sorry," Malachite continued. "But I had to show you that."

Steven looked up at the door.

"Go away... I wish White never gave me her gem..."

Then he noticed the doorknob was glowing with a radiant black. Still sniffling and sobbing, he stood up and examined the handle.

"W- wha- what's..."

"Touch it," Malachite spoke. "The pain you feel is just your biggest weakness leaving your body. Touch the handle, and your weakness - your pain - will fuel your strength."

"...That didn't help at a-a-all!"

Malachite didn't answer back. _Fine_, Steven thought. He wiped a tear from his drying eyes and reached out towards the handle, grabbing it tightly. He waited for some searing pain to spike through his body after several seconds until, suddenly, a black energy began pulsing up his hand, then up his arm. His veins seemed to be pumped full of tar, contrasting with his radiant, white skin as he felt the energy surge through him. And just like that, he began to feel fuzzy again.

-

"Nngh!! **NNNNNNGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!**"

Steven's emotions were overflowing as he burst into an explosion of raw, uncontrolled negative energy. Deep blackness surrounded his vision, his entire body emitting powerful waves of energy. It felt so liberating, so alleviating to completely destroy his surroundings with pure emotional power while-

_Hey... I feel someone else's energy... No, it's mom's energy... And who else is-!?_

Steven's outburst quickly died down, and he soon saw why nothing in his vicinity was being destroyed. All the Diamonds and Crystal Gems had surrounded him, his body and energy contained by an ultra-powerful barrier. He soon descended, not in a gravity way, but in a gently, floating way, onto White's bed. The barrier dissipated. The Crystal Gems looked completely wiped out - Peridot even fell to the floor. But the Diamonds were mostly unfazed... Except for Connie, who was smiling.

"See that? That was my idea," she said. "That's payback for White doing the same to us."

Now Steven was physically and emotionally drained. He laid on the bed, exhausted as his mother, Blue, and Amethyst rushed to his side. He quickly sat up, despite it physically hurting to even move his fingers.

"Aaaagh... Mom?" Steven asked. "I wanna... Owww... I wanna... ask you something about dad."

"Your dad?... Shoot."

"What happened to him?"

Pink looked around.

"Should I tell him the truth?"

Steven saw everyone else nod. Pink sighed as she put a hand on Steven's back.

"I killed him... Now, don't get _TOO_ mad. It was the only way to end the hostilities between gems and humans without a large scale war that we would have easily won while killing millions of equally good humans. I would have killed him a hundred times for the exact same reasons... But that was ten years ago. And a lot can change someone in ten years. Now, the foundations for our Authority are even stronger than the first one. Our New Authority will last a million years!"

_Yeah, yeah, yeah,_ he thought as Pink continued her spiel of meaningless platitudes. But Steven wasn't angry anymore. Instead, he had accepted the truth about his father. He wasn't any less upset over it, but he wasn't angry anymore. It took him a few seconds to realize something: his anger had been pushed out along with his negative energy. Then, suddenly, his mother paused mid sentence. Amethyst leaned over, looking at the front of his face.

"Woah... Steven, your gem! It's grey now!"

Everyone gathered around to see, and sure enough, Steven's gem was a hazy, smoky grey. He blushed as everyone's eyes were trained on his gem.

"Uh... I... I don't know any good one-liners. Sorry."


	16. Chapter 15: Fear, Sorrow, and Bliss

** _\--Earth // Seven days after Steven's return to Homeworld--_ **

"_Hmm, hmm, hm-hm-hm and **blow my fucking brains out...**_"

"Someone's not a fan of Christmas music."

"I swear to _fuck_, if I had to work there every day and listen to _that_ shit? And outside of the Christmas season, too?"

"Yeah, yeah, Mister Edgester. Don't need to make a mass shooting joke in front of our new friends here."

"Dude, fuck this. I'm having a smoke."

The man in combat armor got up from his seat, walking past the rows of bound, gagged, and weeping civilians and opening the door to the back of the train, pulling a cigarette and lighter from his pocket before he heard a **_*thump*_** behind him. He couldn't even turn his head before he felt a touch that put him at ease.

"Hello there. Anyone tell you that smoking's bad for you? Not as bad as taking hostages on trains, but still-"

"Wh... Who are you," the man in the armor asked in a confused daze.

"Well, who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"...Heheheheh... Oh yeah, I know who you are... Crown told us about you... I don't have anything you want... You can't stop our Authority."

Suddenly, the back door opened, and the man's partner swung a fire axe at the head of whoever was keeping him captive. The man heard a distinctive thud, but then a pink light radiated from behind him. The second man's eyes widened.

"**Aw, _HELL_ no.**"

** _\--Homeworld // Five hours later--_ **

** _*BANG*_ **

A muffled explosion jolted Steven awake, a sense of fear immediately setting in before Connie slammed open the door to his room.

"Steven," she said as she ran to him and grabbed his arm, "something's happening!"

Steven was too groggy and confused to comprehend the gravity of the situation, but he could tell by Connie's face that it wasn't good. She dragged him out of bed, making him stumble as he got to his feet, and they ran towards the elevator they arrived in days earlier. All the other Diamonds were crowded around it, each displaying restlessness and fear, as the jarring noise of a friendly **_*ding*_** heralded the elevator's arrival. They all jammed into it, Pink pressing the lowest button on the panel as the doors closed and the elevator went down. Steven's head was spinning, still having not entirely woken up yet.

"Guys?... What's happening?"

Connie shot him a grave expression as she took Steven's hand.

"Earth's under attack, Steven."

"...What? What about that-"

"They're attacking here, too."

Steven froze in place, his tongue held as the elevator soon reached a black underground. He was silent as the elevator reached its destination within the minute, a jet black, crystalline bunker that looked like it hadn't been used in years. The group stepped out, Steven choosing to huddle in a corner while the others turned the lights on and began cleaning off the dusty furnishings that filled the bunker. Connie soon joined him, hugging him.

"What happened on Earth?" Steven asked. Connie sighed and rubbed his back.

"A few hours ago, there were a bunch of chemical attacks in some of the big cities. A lot of people are sick or worse. The only one that got stopped was the one in Beach City."

"Okay... And what was that big bang I heard earlier?"

"We don't know. But there were some reported explosions on other Gem planets, too. It can't be a coincidence."

"Connie, I... I'm so scared..."

"I know. C'mere."

The two hugged tightly, Steven beginning to sniffle as Connie held him. He hadn't felt this sort of fear in at least a few years. But this was something that had more weight than one of his mother's and Connie's 'games'. Humans and gems were dead and dying and sick and there was nothing he could do about it. He held his girlfriend for what felt like an eternity when the elevator came down again, making Steven's heart race with anxiety.

"Sorry we're late, everyone... We got held up by the press," he heard a friendly voice say. "As if we could possibly know more than all of you."

It was Amethyst, who stepped out of the elevator with all of the other Crystal Gems. Steven internally sighed in relief as Amethyst spotted him, huddled up in the corner with Connie.

"Hey, Jasper?" she asked. "Guess who's here, too?"

Jasper poked her head out of the elevator, looking frightened.

"Uh... Hi, big brother..."

"C'mon, Jaz. You have nothing to be scared of down here. The bad people can't get us all the way under ground."

"O- ok, Mama Amy..."

Jasper took Amethyst's hand, and the two of them sat alongside Connie and Steven. Steven looked visibly nervous, leaning over to look at Jasper.

"Hey, Jasper?"

"Yea, big brother?"

"Do you, uh... Do you remember anything before Connie took us here last week?"

"...Huh? I was made last week, big brother."

Steven turned to look at Connie.

"I never got to ask. What did you do to her?" he whispered into Connie's ear.

"I told you," she whispered back, "I made sure she wouldn't hurt you for the rest of your life. I remade her personality in my image."

"...You can do that?"

"Yes. And so can you, your mom, and the other Diamonds. Well... _You_ probably can't."

She lightly tapped his cloudy, grey gem.

"Ok, I get the point," he said as he crossed his arms and stared at the black floor. Then he heard footsteps, looking up to see Yellow Diamond tower over them.

"Steven? To me. Now."

Steven did as asked, walking with Yellow Diamond to a desk on the far side of the room, an old human computer sitting at it. Steven sat down in the chair as Yellow stood behind him, her hand on the mouse, as it glanced over the title of a news article.

"_'Straight out of the movies': One passenger's 'miraculous' and 'daring' rescue provides hope in a day of terror and fear'_."

"I'll give you a few moments to read it for yourself," Yellow said with a sneer. Steven was perplexed by her reaction as he began to skim through the article.

"'_Even more harrowing was the experience for passengers at the front of the train._ 'It was like something straight outta the movies', _said Ronaldo Fryman, 15, held hostage along with his father._ 'The bad dude was all like 'it's him, if any other teams go dark, start killing the hostages!' We all got real scared, we were all crying and stuff, then the door opened and I hear him talking to this other dude...'"

"_When two men stepped out into the subway station, one dressed in combat armor and wielding a knife, Officer Clancy 'Celtic' O'Malley could tell something was wrong._ 'Next thing I know, I see this huge dude bolting out of the train, almost wrestling with this guy who looks like he's a teenager. Everyone started to scream and back off when I saw the teen guy take a few stabs in the chest. That's when I took the shot.' _The assailant, believed to be the leader behind the attack, died in hospital an hour later from a heart attack._"

Then he scrolled down. A picture of an adolescent boy with blood smeared across his purple shirt and a knife sticking from his chest, labeled "_The Stabbed Man (identity unknown)_". Steven felt sick as Yellow Diamond chuckled behind him.

"I... I don't see what's so funny, Yellow."

"Oh, it's _VERY_ funny, my half-human friend. Isn't it funny how none of the passengers recognized him? Isn't it funny how he has three cuts on his shirt, and yet the blood almost looks like he... spread it on himself? It's all very, _very_ funny. Do you know why? Because Gems can teleport. And they don't bleed."

Steven's eyes widened and his pupils shrunk. Yellow stared back, irate.

"Don't give me that look. We know all about your little rebel friends. And besides... That was the only one that got stopped. We know how you **_primitives_** work, you humans will beg for _any_ sense of security once the smoke clears. Luckily for them..."

She grinned widely.

"The New Diamond Authority will be formally established, live on television and the Internet, for all the galaxy to see. And we'll give them all the support and protection they need."

"...What? But that's not how anything works-"

"Surely your rebel friends told you something about how much harder it is to root us out of certain systems and planets? That's because we never died, Steven. Our Authority never ended. We just had to be a little bit less open about it."

She walked back towards the center of the room.

"Now, we're having some press down here soon. We'll send someone down with formal wear and a brush."

** _\--Two hours later--_ **

"Wow... He's in charge of his own empire? That's gotta rock, eh, kid?"

The human cameraman flashed Steven a smile as Steven went back to rehearsing what was on the teleprompter, Blue Diamond by his side.

"I woke up to the sound of an explosion and... came down here with my advisors... to form a plan about what... to do next, and I... Ugh. My eyes..."

Steven laid his head on Blue Diamond's side, Blue running her fingers through his hair.

"We could just do it live, my love."

"...Do it live?"

"Yup. We'll do it live. Just speak whatever comes into your mind. It's a lot more convincing than reading words on a screen."

"But... I don't have anything to-"

"Yes you do, Steven. Talk about who you are and why you're here. Talk about how our Authority will pledge its full support to humans and gems alike in their time of need. That sort of thing. You don't have to give a big, grand speech, just some positive encouragement while you announce our return."

"I... Alright... We'll do it live, then."

-

It took ten minutes for Steven to form a general outline of his impromptu "speech", just enough time for the cameraman to set up the scene and lighting just right. Steven and Blue sat upright on the couch, the camera trained on them.

_Just relax,_ Steven thought. _Just pretend you're talking to someone else._

The cameraman held up five fingers, then four, three...

Steven wringed his hands once more before the camera light turned on. He suppressed memories of the green room as he began.

"Hi. My name's Steven, and you're probably really confused about why you're seeing a kid on your screen right now. I'm here to tell you that I'm the son of former Diamond Authority leader Pink Diamond. And just like you, I'm a human. I mean, I was a human, I still look human, except for this gem in my head. It's a long story, and I don't have time for stories right now..."

"To deal with this... threat, I, Steven Quartz Universe, will officially establish the New Diamond Authority. And me, my mom, and all the other Diamonds will do everything we can to help out gems and humans today and on. We lost a lot of good people today, and we all need directions on where to go next. And we don't have the exact directions, but we've got a plan. We have the man-... The gempower _and_ the manpower to keep all of you safe..."

"I'm really, really sorry for everyone who lost someone today. Not just on Earth, but here on Homeworld and all the other places that got attacked. We'll find whoever's behind this and we'll make 'em pay. We'll make sure nothing like this ever happens again. I promise, as White Diamond and Steven Universe. Thank you."

The camera light turned off, then the cameraman pointed the camera down, giving the thumbs up..

"...Aaand that's it!"

Everyone in the room clapped as a teary-eyed Blue Diamond gave Steven a big hug.

"Oh, Steven! That was such a passionate, elegant speech, my love! You've brought me to tears with your speaking abilities!"

Steven felt hot and sick to his stomach as everyone stared at him.

"Hey, that's great and all, but... I think I want some time alone now."

"May I accompany you, My Diamond?" asked Blue with a smile.

"...Sure. Meet me up in my room."

-

"May I come in now?"

"Yeah," Steven said as he crawled into bed, Blue entering and turning the lights off. She wore a simple nighttime gown as she joined him.

"Steven? I... I have a confession..."

Steven laid on his side to calm his churning stomach.

"Okay..."

"When your mother first showed me pictures of you, I... I didn't like you... Then she showed me pictures of your first time with her, and... My love for you started out as lust for you. I'm sorry for that."

Steven was too drained to react, or to even remember the revelation from last week.

"That's a really weird thing to be sorry about, but... Ok. I forgive you."

"...What? You're okay with-"

"Yeah, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I'm just so tired. Today was really scary, and... I wanna go to sleep for, like, six months..."

He felt Blue's arms around him, pulling him close to her as she curled up against him.

"Oh, Steven... I thought you would hate me for that... I'm glad I was wrong."

She kissed him on the forehead as Steven began to drift off to sleep.

"Steven, I... I really do love you, I love you more than anything in the galaxy..."

His eyes were closed, but he sensed her clothes dissipate against his body, so it didn't matter. She began to kiss him at a faster pace.

"My... My lust for you is coming back, My Diamond... I can't control it, my love... I want... I need you to deliver us a child..."

Steven went through the motions as his attempt at sleep was interrupted, trying to ignore the fact that Blue wanted to do more than kiss.

"B- Blue... I'm really tired..."

"Steven?... You don't want...?"

Steven opened his eyes to Blue, tears welling up at her eyes. He swallowed his fatigue and sat upright, sighing.

"Ok... Amethyst told me it's best if you're on top."

He laid against the pillow and began to remove his bedtime shorts as Blue wiped a tear from her eyes. He rolled the covers down and tossed the clothes to the side of the bed, his partially naked body in full view of the looming Diamond. Blue's eyes widened in a curious lust as she started to feel his body, running her hands up his legs before rolling his undies down and staring at his flaccid privates. She exhaled sharply.

"Alright, Steven, I... I've played this out so many times in my head... And now... I'm almost scared..."

Blue slowly prodded at his boyish member before grabbing it in her hand and gently stroking it. Steven closed his eyes and shuddered as he felt the tender, cold touch of her gripped hand on one of his most sensitive spot. She looked nervous as she gazed at his member beginning to stand up.

"Steven? Do you like it?"

"Eh... Yeah..."

"You don't like it, do you? I'm so sorry, my Diamond..."

"No, no, keep going. You're doing fine. You'll, uh... You'll ease into it."

Steven laid his hands on Blue's thighs as she began to mount him, grinding her entrance against his erect member. He breathed soft and fast as he felt a nervous, warm pressure rising inside of him. His fatigue took a backseat as Blue worked herself into a rhythm, her hips rubbing up against his, her legs trapping his, her body towering over him.

"My... My Diamond, I... Let me put it in, my Diamond!" she said in an excited hush.

Steven nodded, breathing too quick to form words as Blue pushed herself onto him. A deep breath from him and a quiet moan from her signaled the penetration. She lightly shivered while she grabbed Steven's arms.

"I've been waiting... Six long years... My Steven..."

She slowed her pace, her face one of complete bliss as she took in the experience. She slowly laid herself down onto the bed... and then bonked her nose against the wall, somehow forgetting that he was a short ten year old.

"Ow!"

"You ok?"

"Y- yes, my love..."

A smile crept up on Blue's face before she laughed out loud.

"That was so stupid of me! I think we should try another position!"

Blue laid back down on the bed and beckoned towards Steven. Steven got the gist of it as he crawled across the bed, making Blue giggle as he stood on his knees in front of her.

"You're so adorable when you get on your hands and knees like that, it looks so silly!"

"Heh... Yeah, I guess it looks kinda silly..."

Steven grabbed her legs and lifted them up, laying over her, gently pushing his preteen member between her glistening, wet folds. His heart pumping, he then began to slam into her with all his force, holding his grip on her legs as he started fucking. He pushed all other thoughts out of his mind, listening to Blue's moans as they increased in volume and intensity. He felt himself approaching an orgasm. He pushed a few more times, trying to delay it as much as he could, until he thrust once more.

"I... Blue, I'm...!"

He couldn't finish his thought. His climax burst from him, painting her insides with ejaculate as he kept thrusting. Semen began leaking from her hole as he kept fucking her, dripping down her entrance and onto the bedsheets. Steven was panting hard, his pace slowing down before he looked up at her.

"Did you... Did you cum, too?"

"N- no... Can you keep going, please?"

"Alright," he breathed out as he went back to a faster pace, though not as fast as earlier. Her pussy felt much stranger to plunge back into, given the fresh filling of boy cum, but he tried not to mind it too much. He was doing it for her, after all. Blue reached down, stimulating a muscle near her opening that Amethyst didn't teach him about.

"What's that?" Steven asked.

"Oh... Amethyst never taught you about the clitoris? Hm... Maybe you could pull out and watch me for a moment?"

Steven did just that and stared down at where Blue's fingers were. She spread her blue cunt lips open. Steven's eyes trained on her cream-filled entrance, but he was surprised where Blue was rubbing and prodding at, almost embarrassed to refocus his vision.

"That weird thing that's pointing out... That's the 'clitoris'?"

"That's the clitoral hood. Right under that..."

"Ah, ok."

"Okay, now the clitoris is very important for helping a woman cum. You don't have to help me right now, but you can give it a try when you're with one of the others. Now..."

Steven watched and learned as Blue stimulated herself with her fingers, her gaze straight on him as she rubbed herself. She didn't have to do that for very long, as soon she shook and rode her way through an intense orgasm. Fluids leaked from her pussy as her hand drooped to her side. She grinned.

"Eh... Heheh... It usually isn't that fast..."

Steven sat on his knees again before getting off the bed.

"I, uh... I'm gonna go wash up. I don't wanna go to bed all sticky and gross."

"Can I come with you?"

"No thanks."

"Aw, alright..."

-

Steven was glad that there even was a bathroom in this place, let alone one that looked similar to a human bathroom. He had just gotten done rinsing off all the sweat and juices that had coagulated in his session. But he couldn't wash away the feeling that something felt... wrong. He didn't have to think for very long when he remembered what Malachite showed him. He stared into the mirror, a blank expression on his face.

_She helped kill my dad... And I..._

He paused his thought when the door opened and shut. Steven covered his wet privates with his hands. In came Lapis with a towel.

"You forgot this, 'My Diamond'. Courtesy of your new wife."

She handed him a light blue towel, Steven quickly using it to cover himself, ignoring her snide remark. 

"Th- thanks," he stammered. Lapis shot him the grin of a mischievous demon as she gently took him by the arm.

"_Anything wrong_, My Diamond?"

"Uh... N- no... Why?"

"Oh, you know. Your new wife Blue Diamond _might_ have had something to do with your dad's death... Oops, did I say that loud enough for you to hear?"

Steven wasn't surprised, but his face of shock was enough to satisfy Lapis. She gave him a pat on the back.

"Just thought you should know."

"Wait! Wait... Remember what my mom said?"

"That she would have killed him a hundred times?"

"N- no! She said that it was better for everyone that he died, right?"

"Heheh. Yeah, sure was. Is that finally starting to set in?"

"...Yeah, I guess."

"Good... It's in your best interests that it does."

Without another word, Lapis exited the bathroom. Steven followed soon after to return to his room, not even thinking about Lapis' message, which was as subtle as a punch in the face. He entered White's chambers, closing the door behind him and tossing the towel to the side. His eyes adjusted back to the dark, and he crawled back into bed with Blue. She looked content as the two slept face to face.

"Sleeping naked tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah. I don't wanna turn the light back on just to get dressed."

"You must be _really_ tired now," she spoke in a hush as she ran her fingers through his black, puffy hair. Too tired to reply, Steven closed his eyes and laid his head on the pillow, Blue cuddling up with him as they both started to fall asleep.

** _\--Meanwhile--_ **

_"I, Steven Quartz Universe, will officially establish the-"_

_ ***bzzt!*** _

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"You can watch it online, fry-hair."

"Aww, but I might get spoiled about who wrote that script for him!"

Bismuth rolled her eyes and got out of her seat, walking off to the pilot's chambers. Garnet swooped in to steal her former spot, facing Lars.

"Did you notice how uncomfortable Steven looked during that?"

"Who didn't?"

"That almost makes me think he ad-libbed the whole thing."

"You serious? Ten year olds don't talk like that."

"Ten year olds with childhoods don't talk like that. Steven doesn't have a childhood."

"Oooh... Harsh."

"Yeah, Lars. It is harsh. Almost as harsh as you killing the leader of that terrorist squad."

"How was I supposed to know he had a killswitch that reacted towards Diamond energy?"

"You could have just not used your Diamond energy."

"We would have gotten a whole lot out of him that way, right?"

"At least he wouldn't be dead."

"He wouldn't be alive for much longer, given his end stage bullet-lung-itis."

"Knock it off," they heard Bismuth groan over the intercom. "They can hear you two complaining all the way over in Homeworld."

Lars stretched his arms, looking at Garnet with intent.

"Maybe we could settle this with a game of American Battleships?"

"Fine. I'll win again."

"Sure thing, miss seventy seven to seventy eight."

Lars tried not to be distracted by the beautiful view of the dark side of the moon as they began their game.

"Gee, it sure was nice of White Diamond to give us her ship before her mysterious disappearance, right?"

"Shut up and call a space."


	17. Chapter 16-1: Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: 16 will be split into two. I feel like the stories don't go together as a whole and decided it would be best to separate  
them.

** _\--The next day--_ **

"Maheswaran?"

"Yes, teacher?"

"Interrogation chambers. Now."

"Yes, teacher."

Connie scratched her previous plan of seeing Steven and went down to the third floor of the Diamond Palace, the place formerly reserved for prisoners and the "disappeared" during the old Authority. The first of many interrogation chambers was right in front of her, preceding rows and rows of similar doors. She entered the chamber to find Yellow Diamond on the other side of the interrogation room and seated in the interrogator's seat, her legs crossed. Connie sat in the interrogated's seat, Yellow spacing off at the wall. Connie looked a bit confused.

"So... What's up? Wanna talk about the weather?"

Yellow held out her hand, energy gathering into a ball in her palm. Connie raised an eyebrow.

"That's positive energy. What's going on, teacher?"

"Maheswaran... You are now the third Diamond to know this. This energy is a coalescence of my primitive urges. And this one's at least twice as large as the last time I had to do this."

"Primitive urges?... What do you mean?"

Yellow's ball of light got slightly bigger as she grimaced.

"Unlike the others, I see no good reason to... _devalue_ our forms by subjecting ourselves to the filthy, poorly-designed reproductive system your primitive species has. But sometimes the desire to make the decision Blue and Pink have is so tempting. I... I hate that Steven Quartz Universe. I hate him for being the only good reason for distorting my flawless anatomy."

"...You're mad at Steven because makes you horny? But we've literally sent you photos and videos of-"

"**THAT WASN'T THE SAME**. That was entertainment, watching his and his mother's _stupid_ faces contort as they mated! Now that I've seen Steven for myself..."

She clenched her teeth as she thrust the light ball into Connie's hands.

"Dispose of it. Or use it for yourself."

Yellow pulled her hands back and got up from her seat.

"Now, I'm setting up a meeting with our mutual friend. Feel free to join once you've dealt with that."

"Will do."

Connie exited the room and called the elevator, a mischevous grin developing on her face as she took it back up to the throne room. Blue Diamond was up and seated in the throne in the center, stretching and yawning as Connie walked up to her.

"Ah... Hello, Green."

"Where's Steven?"

"He's still in bed. Is that light orb what I think it is?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to use it with Steven?"

"Yes."

"Well... Don't let me keep you."

Connie gave Blue a wink as she walked behind the throne and accessed White Diamond's personal chambers, the dark room partially illuminated by Yellow's energy ball. Connie tried not to disturb the sleeping Steven as she crawled onto the bed and grabbed his hand. Then, she pushed the orb into Steven's hand, his diamond crackling with electricity as his hand seemed to absorb the ball. She could see the energy course through his veins and up to his cloudy grey gem, making it shine. Connie was definitely intrigued - but that wasn't the reason she was here. She began to shake Steven, hoping to rouse him.

"Steven... Hey, Steven, get up... Steven?... Steveeen?... Eh, forget it."

-

Steven was back in the darkened Beach House once more. Coming to his senses after the initial grogginess wore off, he immediately knew where to go. He walked up the stairs and knocked on the door to his room.

"Malachite? Are you there?"

He didn't get an answer. Instead, the doorknob took on a bright white glow.

"Uh... You want me to touch it, right?"

"**_YES_**," Malachite's monotonous voice boomed from the other side. Steven grabbed the doorknob without hesitation, instantly sensing the energy pulsing throughout his body. It lasted for a very brief time, though, as the doorknob soon reverted back to its original state. Steven took his hand off of the doorknob and stared at his hand as white electricity crackled from it. He knew what it was, but he was confused and almost annoyed by it.

"I... I don't understand! You disappear for, like, a week, and then suddenly you-"

"Steven," Malachite calmly interrupted, "as the saying goes, I literally had nothing to work with. All this time, I've been waiting for the tiniest fraction of the smallest modicum of positive energy, but there was none. Whatever energy was given to you, that was more than enough."

"More than enough for what?"

"More than enough to bring you one step closer to becoming White Diamond."

Steven was stunned by her answer. He started to put something together.

"Malachite? Are you... _Were you_ White Diamond?"

Malachite didn't respond for almost a minute.

"That doesn't matter," she finally replied. "What matters is the nexus."

"Why? Will that turn me into White Diamond? What if I don't wanna be White Diamond?"

"I'm sorry, Steven. But you don't choose to be a Diamond. You become one."

"But... But I don't wanna be White Diamond..."

Malachite didn't answer back. Steven sat at the foot of the door to his room, sighing as he felt himself fade away.

"Thanks a lot."

-

Steven woke up in White Diamond's room, feeling slimy and nauseous as he forced himself out of bed. His mind was in a fog as he hastily put some clothes on and stumbled out the door.

"Ah, it's my love!" he heard Blue exclaim. "I'm glad to see you up and abo-"

She paused mid sentence once she saw Steven. She rose from White's throne and fell to her knees in front of him, caressing his cheek as his glazed eyes barely followed her.

"Steven... Your gem..."

She unexpectedly kissed him on the lips, waking Steven up as her tongue invaded his mouth. She quickly pulled back, making him cough. The normally somber Blue was beaming with happiness, tearing up as she blushed.

"Steven... My Diamond... You've finally done it!"

"**_*cough! cough!*_** D- done what?"

"You're White Diamond now!"

"...What? No, I'm not! I-"

Blue held her hand out, a mirror materializing in her hand. She held it up to Steven, allowing him to see why she was so excited. The gem in his forehead wasn't grey anymore. Now it was a radiant, pure white, its shine rivaling that of its previous owner. Blue took back the mirror and held his hands.

"Now... Show me. Show me your power, my Diamond."

"What? What power?"

"You know..."

"I really don't!"

"Just hold your hands out and let it come to you, my love."

Steven nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on his energies as he held his hands out, just as she said. In seconds, a large, black power ball ballooned in his left hand.

"Yes," Blue spoke in an excited hush. "Now, the other one. Think of everything you like, everything you love, and channel that into your hands!"

Steven had very, very little to think of. White electricity crackled at his hand as he concentrated hard on something, anything he could say he truly loved.

_I... I love Connie... I love my mom... I guess I kinda love Blue... C'mon, work, please!... Okay, that's not working... Uh... I like... I like my friends back at school..._

A small orb of white energy rose from his right palm. Blue's eyes widened as she sat back.

"You... You're doing it, my love..."

Steven stared at the small orb he had just created, the mediocre light providing a small ray of hope.

_Yes! Yes, that worked! Uh... Ok, I... I really liked Garnet and Lars!_

The energy ball grew much larger as it floated above his hand, growing as large as the black power ball. Blue applauded as Steven went back to thinking.

_And I- I think I- I think I loved White Diamond!... In a mom way, not... Not in a mom way, either, but-!_

The white orb eclipsed the black orb in size. Steven and Blue stared at it, awestruck, before Blue laid her hands on both the orbs. They dissipated into nothing, leaving Steven speechless as Blue hugged him tightly.

"Go show Connie," she whispered to him. "She'll be so happy to know that it worked."

"What worked?"

"She'll tell you, my love! She's on the third floor, first door."

Blue gave Steven a kiss on his gem before sending him off.

"Hurry! I can feel my cravings for you building, my Diamond!"

Steven rushed towards the elevator, quickly hitting the third floor button as he could see Blue crawling towards him. The door shut. The elevator went down. Steven sat against the elevator wall, sighing in relief, feeling drained.

*ding*

The elevator door opened to what looked like a row of doors, almost like what he saw back on the rebel ship. He could tell by the muffled shouting where Yellow was - which likely meant Connie was there, too. Steven stepped into a room to see an interrogation chamber not unlike the one he saw back on the rebel ship, albeit slightly smaller. In front of him was a table filled with buttons and switches, a pair of headphones in the left corner, as well as a window that peered into the proper interrogation room. Yellow and Connie were inside the room, as well as a strange, bald human that Steven had never seen before. The man's legs were tied to the chair, his hands held together in a stance of prayer. Against his better judgement, Steven took the headphones and put them on.

"My Diamond," the bald man said in a thick Slavic accent, his fear audible in his voice. "I've pledged my entire life to you. I've done everything I've asked of you since-"

"Oh for... We've been through this twenty times now, Ashami!" shouted Yellow as she rolled her eyes. "You fail us once, you fail us a hundred times over!"

"I understand! But I didn't account for-"

"You didn't account for the failed experiment!? How could you not!?"

"I... I figured that the virus my second-in-command crafted would-"

"_Clearly_ it didn't!"

"Teacher," Connie interrupted. "If I may?"

Yellow clenched her fists. Steven removed the headphones and ducked under the table as Yellow stormed out of the chamber, slamming the door to the room shut. He heard the elevator moving, a sign to put the headphones back on and watch what Connie was doing. The man was crying.

"Hey, hey," Connie said in a soft, comforting tone as she pat him on the shoulder. "You just caught Yellow on one of her bad days. She's gone now. Now... I just wanna know. Why didn't you make a contingency for the failed experiment?"

"I... I did, my Diamond..."

"You did?... Let me guess. Was it the... mysterious heart attack that claimed the leader in Beach City?"

"Yes. I administered it myself, my Diamond."

"But you didn't give it to the rest of his team?"

"No... No, I only had enough energy for each of the leaders... I genuflect beneath your authority, my Diamond!-"

"Calm down," Connie said as she opened a portal behind the man. "Your men are here... These are your men, right?"

"Ashami?" Steven heard a man with a British English accent ask through the portal, although he couldn't see into it, as it was to the side. He heard a minor commotion from the portal as Connie waved her hand.

"You don't have to kneel. I just want to give my friend a drink. He's been here for a while now."

"Basayev!" the Englishman shouted. "Diamond's orders! Drinks! **_NOW!_**"

Steven was heavily confused by the entire perplexing scene.

_What the heck is Connie doing? Why are they talking about the bad guy in Beach City who died? Who are-_

Then he started to put something together.

_If... If this guy made the bad guy in Beach City die from a heart attack, and if they're talking about... They're talking about Lars. They're talking about the terrorist attacks... No. No, they can't be working together to hurt people!_

"Here, my Diamond," said the Englishman from the other side of the portal. "Water, soft drinks, and alcohol."

"Thank you."

Connie took a brown paper bag from the portal and laid the drinks out on the table. 'Ashami' looked nervous, sweat dripping onto his thick beard as Connie crossed her arms behind her back.

"Relax," she spoke softly. "Take something."

Quickly, 'Ashami' took the soft drink, popping the top and taking huge gulps of it. He stopped drinking, catching his breath as some of the drink trickled down his beard.

"I thank you... I thank you, my Diamond... I... I really thought-"

"Aw, don't be so scared," Connie said with a smile, pointing a finger-gun at the man. "What's the worst a girl like me could do to you? Heheh!"

Soon enough, nervous laughter came from the man, and then from the portal. Connie laughed along, seemingly fine.

"Heheh, ahahahahah! It's funny! Laugh, **laugh**!"

Then a green energy gathered in her fingertip. Everyone stopped laughing. 'Ashami' began pleading in his native tongue before Steven covered his eyes. He heard a zap, then a kick and a thud.

"Come here, Sadiq," Connie softly spoke after a moment of silence. A man came forward from the portal, dropping to his knees, almost as if he were praying to her.

"My Diamond," he whispered, "I pledge my allegiance, my being, my very soul towards your Authority. I swear to hold up the tenants of our new rulers and to prepare all humans for the coming times. I swear-"

"I understand," Connie whispered back as she put a hand on the man's shoulder. "My advice for you?"

A green and black power ball gathered in her open hand.

"Give some of this to all your men, all your women, all your Gems, all your contacts. Anyone who even touches the rebel scum will be a martyr for our cause... And don't be as stingy with it as he was. Humans don't need as much as us gems do. Oh, and by the way... consider yourself promoted."

She pushed the man back through the portal, then closed it. Steven hung up the headphones, racing out of the room, almost jamming his finger on the elevator button. He had only seconds to react before Connie would emerge from the room. Quickly, he positioned himself against the wall next to the door, forcing a poker face. Connie stepped out right on time.

"**BOO!**"

"AAAH!... Oh... Steven..."

Connie cracked a smile as the elevator arrived.

"What're you doing down here?"

"Blue said to come and see you. She told me to show you-"

Then Connie's eyes caught Steven's gem. Immediately, her expression turned to one of excitement.

"Are you serious!? That's awesome! We've gotta show everyone else!"

Connie dragged Steven onto the elevator, pressing the top button. The doors closed.

"Hey, Steven? How long were you there?"

"Oh, like, a minute."

Steven lied through his teeth. And he was surprised Connie didn't see it, or at least call it out.


	18. Chapter 16-2: Bloodline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second part of chapter 16. It is not chapter 17.

"HE **_WHAT!?_**"

"Yes! He created such a large ball of positive energy that I had to put in some effort to get rid of it!"

"Wha-! That's amazing!"

"Surprise, everyone!" Connie announced as she and Steven stepped from the elevator. "Guess who became White Diamond earlier today!"

All the Diamonds and Crystal Gems were there, all of them paying attention to Connie and Steven once they entered. They all stared at Steven in silence and hope as Amethyst and Peridot stood by the center throne. Connie let go of Steven as he walked up to White Diamond's throne.

"Uh... So this is mine now?"

He didn't recieve an answer. Beginning to sweat, he sat in White's throne, crossing his legs and smiling.

"Ta-daaa!"

Amethyst cried at his side.

"I'm sorry, it's just... You've grown up so fast... I'm so proud!!"

She then gave him a big, warm hug, tears of joy falling onto his shirt. She pulled back, a smile on her face.

"So... Uh... We don't have to, like, swear him in or anything?"

"No," Pink replied. "There's no procedure for replacing a Diamond. Not like we'll need one!"

"That's it?" Steven asked. "I don't have to demonstrate my powers or something?"

"Nope. This is it. Although..."

Pink rose from her throne and stood at Steven's side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'd like to talk. Alone, please."

Steven kept a straight face and followed his mother into his room, immediately dropping the facade the moment she shut them in. Steven sat on the side of his bed, an anxious frown on his face, looking down as his mother sat beside him and gave him a hug.

"Steven? Don't be so scared. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what I did last week."

"But... You apologized twenty times-"

"I can't apologize enough, Steven. I know that the way I tried to... seduce you... was hurtful. I wasn't thinking straight. And I'll try my best not to do that again."

"Uh... Okay. Is that it, mom?"

"No... I, uh..."

Her hand went lower; Steven braced himself, exhaling sharply.

"Do you remember what I said about... Our bloodline, Steven?"

Her hand glowed. Steven felt something twist around inside him. He clenched his fists and bared his teeth as the glow got brighter before it suddenly died down. His mother smiled at him.

"That was me rewiring your genetic code. Now we don't have to worry about any pesky genetic disorders and other problems fifty generations down the line... And now, I'm in the mood for establishing our long, healthy bloodline... It'll be much more fun this time. I promise."

Steven was almost speechless. But he had to go along with it, if only to make her happy.

"I... Okay, mom..."

"Good. I think I'll give you the honor of undressing me, White Diamond."

Steven gulped. His hands trembled as he stood on the bed, stepping behind his mother and grabbing the back of her top.

"Ah-ah... Steven," Pink interrupted. "I want to try something different this time."

Pink gently pushed Steven out of the way before sliding back and laying on her side, the bottom of her dress in full view.

"Now, take it off. Slowly."

Steven's shaking hands inched towards the underside of his mother's dress, her lightly stained panties visible. His hands grasping the sides of Pink's underwear, he slid them down to her knees and tried not to stare at his mother's glistening, pink 'pussy'. He began to remove his pants when he remembered what Blue taught him the previous night. He got down to a crawl on the bed, discarding his pants and underwear on the floor.

"Mom? I... I wanna... try something new, too..."

"Oh? Feeling adventurous today, Stevie? Don't let me stop you."

She gave him a seductive grin before he prodded at her gemhood, feeling around until the right pressure in the right spot caused her to lightly moan. He'd found her 'clit'. Pink looked down, amazed.

"Steven?... Did Blue?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I'm so stupid... I can't believe I never taught you about that. I'm surprised Amethyst didn't, either, we're such terrible teach-"

She was cut off by her own moaning as Steven began to stimulate her, rubbing his fingers along her clit.

"Lift a leg," she muttered; Steven heard her and used his free hand to grab his mother's upper leg and lift it up into the air. His mother's bits kept discharging clear fluids as he prodded her. The sight was enough to make his prepubescent member spring an erection. His mother looked down at him.

"Use your tongue!" she barked at him.

He never questioned his mother when she spoke like that. He positioned his face in front of his mother's wet 'pussy', suppressing a similar memory as he stuck his tongue out. He felt his hot breath blow against her bare skin. His arm was getting sore from keeping her leg in the air from such an awkward angle. Closing his eyes, he plunged his tongue between her dripping folds, sensing around her slimy 'pussy', trying to ignore its weird taste while he blindly aimed for her clit. His mother moaned like nothing he had ever heard from her. It was loud, forceful, and slow, like she had been waiting years and years for this to happen.

Steven's tongue poked around until he sensed her clitoral hood brush against his tongue. Licking the spot underneath gave way to her engorged clitoris, pulsing with energy. He licked it directly, causing his mother to moan loudly once more.

"Steveeen... Stooop..."

Steven ceased his stimulation at once. Pink looked down, looking pleased.

"Steven... I'm not disappointed, I'm real happy... But I kinda want you to put it in now. I'm done with foreplay."

Steven nodded and grabbed his half-erect, fluid-leaking cock and pushed it between his mother's folds, entering her warm 'pussy' for the first time a week. He grabbed her lifted leg and clung to it as he started pumping inside at a slow pace. Pink looked back, impatient.

"S- Steven! I'm all ready! I've BEEN ready! _FUCK ME!_ Fuck me like you did Blue!!"

He dropped all pretense of having gentle, tender sex and began plunging deep inside her. Fully erect, he nuzzled his head against her leg as he kept fucking her raw. Her moans were nonstop as she looked down at him, expecting exactly what she'd been training him for years now. Steven looked in her eyes, her gaze piercing his soul. He knew what she wanted. And it was already time for him to give it to her. He closed his eyes and pushed once more before he hit his peak. They both felt it, Pink rubbing herself as she lost control of her filter.

**"F-! FUCK ME! FUCK YOUR MOMMY, STEVEEEEEN! _FUCK YOUR MOMMYYYY!"_**

"M- mommyyy! I... I'm..."

His climax hit him hard. He thrust inside her with what little strength he had and penetrated her, coating his mother's insides with what she desired. He shook his hands, then clutched Pink's leg as he remained inside of her, the last spurts of ejaculate shooting out inside her. He could barely breathe as he pulled out, his member a mess of warm, sticky fluids. Some of his ejaculate spilled out onto the bedsheets. Pink looked down, a bright, beaming smile on her face.

"Steven... You... You finally did it, my little Diamond!"

She hoisted herself up, grabbed Steven, and locked him in a big kiss on the mouth. Twelve seconds of his mother's spit and tongue in his mouth later, and his mother pulled back, panting and grinning like he had never seen her before.

"Th- thank you, Steven... I might not have told you, but... Hah, that was intense... Today's a special day for me."

Steven's empty stare and shallow breaths told Pink he wasn't in a condition to guess. She took him and laid with him on the bed, his fluids dripping onto her dress.

"St- Steven.... Girls... Human girls... have a special time of the month. And that means it's easier for them to conceive a baby on those days... I have a human girl's baby-making parts. And today's one of those days, Steven. You came inside me on my special day. I'll be surprised if you didn't get me pregnant! Pregnant from my own son..."

She held him tight, Steven finally feeling something warm and loving from his mother. He couldn't quite think of the word until she stared into his eyes and spoke.

"I'm so happy. Finally... Finally my dream's coming true right before my eyes."

As she closed her eyes and kept hugging him, Steven recognized what it was she had given him.

_Acceptance_.

She had finally accepted him. 

He hugged her back, his palms trembling and his toes twitching. It wasn't a hug of love, but she wouldn't be able to tell. He didn't speak. Holding back the sweet, cathartic release of tears, he kept a straight face while the two laid in his bed, recovering from their first chance at a child.

-

Pink Diamond hummed a tune to herself as her son sat in her lap on his throne. She ran her hands through his hair, her breath beating down on him. Steven lazily rested his head between his mother's firm 'breasts', trying to distract himself from the feelings of disgust and shame that would creep up every time he had sex. But they were especially sickening this time. He felt truly violated, like a used piece of plastic, wrapped up and discarded on his mother's body. It was vile, slimy, nauseating...

Then, suddenly, Amethyst took his hand.

"You ok there, Steven? You're not looking so hot."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine... I just need a little rest..."

"Wanna go back to your room, sweetheart?" his mother asked him.

"Yeah.... That's a good idea..."

Without another word, Pink picked him up and carried him to his room, turning off the light before laying him on the bed.

"Want me to lay with you, sweetie?"

"No thanks. I kinda wanna be alone."

"Alright... I love you."

Steven got himself under the covers, feeling sick as he thought aloud.

"Mom?... Do you like me more now that I'm a gem?"

Pink's eyes widened at the thought.

"No, of course not... Wh-! What I mean by _that_ is, I always loved you, even when you were a human. It's just that I love you _even more_ now that you're a gem."

"Alright... Thanks, mom..."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

Pink exited his room, closing the door. Steven had a suspicion that she wasn't telling the truth, wondering her real feelings as he closed his eyes and decided to nap off his sickness.

-

Pink stepped back out into the throne room.

"Crystal Guard? You may be excused."

The Crystal Gems nodded, flocked to the elevator and headed down. Pink sat in her throne, looking discouraged.

"Connie- eh, Green? You said he was with you?"

"Yup. I don't doubt for a second he caught at least a bit of my conversation."

Pink buried her hands in her face, releasing a heavy breath.

"Dammit. He's ten, but he's not stupid. And it doesn't take a genius to put together why you were with those... _characters_."

"If he's already worked it out, we could just tell him. It's not like he's going to run to the press... As if they'd believe him, but still."

"Hmm... No... No. We should just keep him busy as usual."

"Pink?" Blue chimed in. "I was thinking... If we want to keep him busy, maybe I could... ma-r-ry Ste-"

"Of course."

"Wha-! YES!"

"In fact, I could marry him, too. And you, too, Green. And Amethyst and Peridot... And the rest of the Guard. They deserve at least that much for helping Steven get to where he is today... Yes, yes, that should keep him busy enough."

"And once the marriages become public," Connie spoke up, "then the other humans will find that creepy and revoke our protection."

"Not if we... What's the phrase... Not if we _manufacture their consent_."

"Manufacture...? Go on."


	19. Interlude 2

** _\--One week after "Shattered Thursday"--_ **

"King?"

"Yes?"

"An emissary from the Diamonds has arrived."

Naqid clasped his hands together. So soon? He wondered. Word must get around fast.

She stepped in, pushing the messenger to her side. A green Gem with long hair and a flowing dress stood before him, and she didn't look amused.

"Sadiq?" she asked. "What is the meaning of this?"

"...The meaning of what, dear representative of my intergalactic overlords?" he playfully responded.

"Don't test me, Sadiq. What you're doing in Beach City isn't necessary."

"What I'm doing is what our owners want me to do," he replied. "Nothing works like hostages and contaminated drinking water to scare the masses into accepting your Authority."

"We have decided your services are no longer required," the gem bluntly spoke. Naqid's brow furrowed.

"No longer required? Without my services, you wouldn't be here right now!"

"Without _Ashami's_ services. And he's dead now. Your organization-"

Naqid stood up, his fists clenched as he stepped towards her.

"MY organization has the huddled masses crying in a corner, waiting for the Authority to pick them up. **MY** organization is what gave our owners the excuse they needed to begin again! _**MY**_ organization-"

"**YOUR** organization stopped being relevant six days ago!"

Naqid grabbed the gem by the neck, grinning devilishly as he held her face to face.

"_My_ organization will continue to be relevant as long as your owners need people to be scared... And why should I listen to you, anyways? You don't scare me, you stuck-up, stupid little **bitch**."

"You're wrong... I _do_ scare you..."

Then, her form changed in a flash of light. Naqid looked away, breaking his grip to cover his eyes, when the light subsided. A green aura filled the room. Her hand was glowing. His face was one of stricken fear.

"No... No, My Diamond! I genuflect! Wait, My Diamond! **WAIT!**"

-

"Give the order."

"Y-... Yes, ma'am," the young man nervously spoke.

"Address me as 'My Diamond', **_worm!_**"

"Y-! Yes, My Diamond!"

He fumbled with his phone before keying in the PIN and dialing a number.

"Come on, come on," he frantically mumbled, an open green hand in his face. "Come ooon... Bishop!? Yes, this is Knight! King has been checkmated! Repeat, King has been checkmated! Abort! Abort!"

The green light subsided from the room. The man recieved a pat on the back.

"Good boy... Now, if that's it, I'm returning to Homeworld. The gems at HT are gonna get the scoop of a human lifetime..."

** _\--Three days later--_ **

"Ahem... This is Graphite with Homeworld Today, reporting live from Beach City. Hours ago, Mayor Dewey passed the 'One Family One Gem' act, which requires that human families of a certain size must share housing with gems, or vice versa, an innovative act that's drawn both criticism and praise. After both of the near-tragedies that threatened the city, Mayor Dewey, quote, '_has a burning passion to prevent tragedies like Shattered Thursday before they start, by teaching loving-kindness and tolerance_'... How was that?"

"Nailed it," the cameraman said as he gave her a thumbs up. "Keep going, just pretend the camera's on."

Graphite cleared her throat.

"We've recently recieved word that the first human family to share spacing will be announced by the end of the week; although rumors have circulated throughout the small city, there has been no apparent evidence to substantiate the claims... And, uh, what else did the script say?... Oh, yeah. Also White Diamond praised the move, saying it gives plenty of children a chance to grow up just like him, blah blah blah. We don't have to use _that_ line, do we?"

"Nah."

-

"Can you shapeshift, Emerald?"

"Pretty much all gems can."

"Can you fly?"

"No."

"Can you turn invisible?"

"Nope."

"Are you super strong?"

"Not really."

"Aww, I wanna know what your super cool Gem power is!"

"Peedee?" his father asked. "Give her a break. She just became a part of the family!"

"Sorry, dad," Peedee said back. The Gem gave Peedee a grin as she sat in between him and his big brother.

"I can't do anything the other gems can't," she said, "but... I'm rich. And I know a few of the Diamonds personally."

Peedee's face lit up.

"Woah... So you know Steven, too!?"

"Steve-? Oh, you mean White?"

"Yeah! How'd he get to be White Diamond anyways?"

"The first White Diamond entrusted her gemstone to him," she spoke with a smile. "Blue was so sad to see the original White leave, but she was much happier that Steven could become a Diamond like her."

His father gave the gem a look in the rear-view mirror.

"The same Blue Diamond who said '_age is just a number_' on live TV yesterday?"

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Fryman?"

"That's not the kind of talk I'd expect from a leader. Let alone someone who works with a kid Peedee's age..."

He eyed the van in front of the house as they turned down their street. "HT Homeworld Today", the back of the van read. He was cautious as they pulled up to the house, everyone getting out as a two-person news crew stood on the sidewalk. The Gem walked up to Mr. Fryman and held out her hand.

"Hello. I'm Graphite with Homeworld Today. News agency, obviously," she said, cracking a smile. "Are you Humbert Fryman?"

"...Yes," he responded, raising a brow.

"Alright, sir. We just wanted to ask you some questions. What was it like when you found out you were the first human family to house a Gem under the law?"

"It was... It was interesting. Her name's Emerald, she seems nice enough. Always helps to have another helping hand, right?"

"Indeed. Those must be your children - how excited were they?"

"My younger son was very happy... But my oldest son, Ronaldo? He hasn't been the talking type since last week, I'm hoping this will help him break out of that."

"Alright, fantastic. Onto our next question..."

_ **\--The next day--** _

***knock knock knock***

***creeeaaak***

"Hello! It's so good to see you! How's it going?"

"I'm great," he heard an unfamiliar voice say. "Even better now that I'm here. And where's the family?"

"I'm pretty sure the dad's cooking up lunch for the kids. And the kids-"

"Excuse me?" Humbert butted in, peeking his head from the kitchen. Emerald was standing with another gem, this one yellow, her cold eyes meeting with his. "Emerald? Who is this?"

"Don't worry, Hubert. This is just a friend of mine from Homeworld. Meet Hessonite."

"Hessonite?"

He remembered something he caught a faint glimpse of on HT.

"Wait a minute... What's a politician doing in my home?"

"I'm not _just_ a politician," Hessonite answered back. "I was an ambassador for peace... At least, before the Second Authority made most of the job pointless."

"And before that?"

"Military stuff. Started to hate it near the end, but oh well. Caste system's a caste system. Now, how about you? What's your backstory? Let me guess..."

She waved her hands in front of her as Humbert popped back into the kitchen.

"Hm... You've been disheartened, cold, and vengeful ever since the tragic death of your daughter in an unforseen accident..."

"What are you doing?" came the voice of a younger boy. Hessonite and Emerald both turned to face him.

"I am trying to discern your father's tragic backstory," she responded. "And you?"

"Uh... I'm Ronaldo. Emerald shares my room."

"Ronaldo! Good to meet you. Let's have a seat. I've got some good stories for you!"

"...I'm not ten, y'know," Ronnie said with a raised brow.

"I know, I know. Emerald told me all about you and Peedee. Just wanna pass the time while your dad gets your lunch going. Say, I haven't told the Prism story in a while..."

Humbert tuned out Hessonite's voice as he focused on dishing out the food. He washed his hands clean and began assembling a plate for Ronaldo when his phone buzzed, almost vibrating off of the counter. He grabbed it before it fell; the phone vibrated again. He checked the screen to find two texts from an unknown sender. He put it in his pocket, getting Ronaldo's sandwich ready, then Peedee's. His phone vibrated once more. He rolled his eyes, becoming irritated.

_It'd better not be some nonsense from the phone service provider again._

"Okay, boys! Come and get it!"

Humbert stood against the kitchen wall as Ronaldo and Peedee arrived, grabbing their plates and offering their thanks. He smiled and nodded before pulling out his phone, eyeing the first line of text.

"_YOUR BOYS ARE IN DANGER_"

...Eh?

He unlocked his phone and went right to the text messages. "Unknown" had sent him three messages. Peeking out from the kitchen again, he saw the boys happily eating their food as Hessonite droned on. Turning around, he tapped on the message from Unknown.

_"YOUR BOYS ARE IN DANGER._

_EMERALD IS NOT WHO YOU THINK SHE IS._

_LEAVE WITH YOUR FAMILY ASAP_

_"THIS IS NOT A HOAX OR A PRANK._

_EMERALD IS VERY CLOSE IN THE DIAMOND INNER CIRCLE._

_SHE AND HER ASSOCIATES ARE CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGERS TO HUMANS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG BOYS_

_"HER WRITINGS BETRAY WHAT SHE SAYS HER INTENTIONS ARE._

_THEY'RE ONLY SOLD IN GEM TERRITORIES FOR A REASON._

_AND THEY'RE GETTING POPULAR AGAIN._

_YOU'LL BE THE FIRST HUMAN TO SAMPLE HER WRITING._

_BRACE YOURSELF"_

Attached were several photos. Emerald with the old White Diamond. Emerald and Hessonite. Pictures of the covers of books. He began tapping on each photo chronologically, starting with Emerald and White Diamond before-

"Hey, Hubert?"

Emerald's voice made him snap back to Earth.

"Eh?- It's Humbert."

"Yeah, I meant to say that. Anyways, Hess and I wanted to take your boys out for an hour or two. Go to the park, or the beach, or the movies, or whatever-"

"No."

Emerald was almost offended by his answer.

"No? Why not?"

"Because we met you yesterday, and we met Hessonite ten minutes ago."

"Aww, c'mon, daaad," Peedee whined. "Pleaaase?"

"No. And that's final."

"Aww," Emerald joined in as she wrapped an arm around Peedee. "Don't worry, Peedee. We'll go somewhere soon enough."

** _\--The next day--_ **

"Aye, ye don't look like my normal customer, bawbag!"

"Aiden!"

The rideshare driver cracked a beaming smile.

"God, I love messin' with ya. Get in back."

Humbert groaned and sat in the backseat, rapidly munching down his pre-made breakfast as they began the trip to his workplace.

"Why do you always do this to me?"

"Because I'm an asshole, lad."

"I know, but... Ugh. Why now?"

"Ye get up on the wrong side? Someone have a piss in yer shite frozen breakfast, lad?"

"Sorry, it's just... I'm not in the mood for this."

"Aww, don't tell me, boyo..."

"Yeah... Just realized that she's gone for real this morning."

"Oooh... Damn. Pull up a couch and let's chat about it."

"Well... We're the first family to get a gem under that gem, house, whatever law..."

"Aye."

"Yesterday was tough enough because she brings over this random person that I've only seen on the news."

"Wasn't fer touchin' kids, aye?"

"Shut up! No, she was just some random politican... Anyways. I wake up. Head out. Ronnie's sleeping in. The gem's in a makeshift bed on the floor. And I just stand there, like... My god, I really wish she was here with me right now. Just to help get Ronnie up and out, maybe help the gem get situated."

"I'm very sorry fer yer loss, lad," Aiden said with solemn respect. Humbert smiled back.

"It's alright. She's somewhere better now..."

-

"Aye, somethin' up, pisspot?"

"Aiden..."

"Right, right. Ye'r not in the mood... How about some music?"

"Sure..."

Aiden nodded and set the radio to automatic.

"-stocks are on the rise a-" _"-lurking all the ti-" "-well, that's me, mothe-"_ "-with a high of ei-" "thanks to my fellow Di-"

Humbert recognized the last voice.

"Go back."

"Aye?"

"Go back. The one that had the kid talking, go back to that station."

Aiden fiddled with the knob until he got the correct frequency.

"-_afely say that everyone will have the ability to voluntarily choose their partners, no matter who. This isn't just for me and whoever I'll be with. It's for everyone under the banner of the Authority._"

_That's Peedee's friend from school,_ Humbert thought. _That's Steven._

Then the newscaster's voice filled the car.

"_The decision came after a poll that showed support for all-age marriage at the highest it's been since the Universe Concordat was passed. Over 68 percent of the millions of gems across the galaxy who were polled expressed supporting marriage with gems under what humans would consider the age of consent._"

"**WOOOAAAH!**" the two in the car exclaimed. The newscaster's voice continued.

"_Although some in the Authority controlled territories of Earth and its colonies might disagree with the supposed 'ethical nature' of the act, one Mayor Dewey of Beach City welcomes the decision with open arms and even suggests-_"

"Turn this garbage off," Humbert demanded.

"With pleasure," Aiden responded.

-

"Hey. I'm home."

"Hey, dad..."

Ronaldo was watching TV by himself. Humbert took his shoes off and joined his son; Ronaldo scooted away once his father took his seat. Humbert sighed.

"Ronnie..."

"I don't wanna talk right now."

"Something happen at school today?"

"...Jane broke up with me again..."

"Aw."

"It's fine. I was gonna leave her anyways."

"Oh? Did you find someone else?"

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"...gem girl."

"Is she your age?"

"Yeah. We met at the coffee shop."

"You went to the coffee shop? When?"

Ronaldo got up and walked away, down the hall. A door slammed closed out of his vision. Humbert didn't even bother asking him to come back as he looked at whatever was on... It was the news. Homeworld Today.

"_The rumors of White and Blue's relationship took a spicy turn earlier today when the two were seen in public, entering and exiting a high-class restaurant by themselves. Crystal Guardian Amethyst says that it's nothing serious-_"

_Spare me_, he thought. He switched the channel to the Earth based news station.

_"Protests against the decision were heated and, in some places, violent as the Second Diamond Authority moved to legalize child marriage, or, as White Diamond called it, 'all-age marriage'. This comes at a time when over ten percent of millions of humans, overwhelmingly women, admitted they found, quote, 'nothing objectionable' about relationships with minors. Many fear marriage is inapproprate for and could have a detrimental effect on young humans, but the Authority leadership..."_

Humbert's eyes widened at the statistic.

_Ten per-...? What the hell is happening out there?_

"_And now_," the anchorman continued, "_onto our next story: the terrorist group known as Identity Terra Nova was officially declared defunct, as the work of military and intelligence agencies have ensured that all known active members have been imprisoned or killed. Its acting leaders have surrendered and admitted to their crimes in the wake of Naqid Sadiq's sudden disappearance..._"


	20. Interlude 2, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not chapter 17, either.

_ **\--Two weeks after Shattered Thursday--** _

"Jacob, you can't keep just pulling me away from my job like this! Let me out right now!"

"I will," he replied in a hush, "but I just had to let someone know. You know that lead I followed the other day?"

"Which one," she responded, lowering her voice. "The one that said there was a trafficking ring in the basement of a restaurant without a-"

"No, no, no. The SD phone chip I got in the mail."

She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You need someone to reset your phone? Again?"

"No! It gave me something much more valuable than a virus - information! Shattered Thursday, One Family One Gem, it's all a setup."

"Here we go..."

"Please, listen! The chip showed me rock-solid proof that the Authority's planning something big. Real big, real bad. I didn't read through all the data yet, but it has something to do with the child marriage law that got passed earlier in the week."

"It's not a 'child marriage' law, Jacob."

"...You believe the BS they preach on HT too, don't you?"

"It's not BS just because you disagree with it."

"I thought I could trust you."

Jacob pushed his coworker aside and opened the door, fast-walking down the hall and back to his office. But his coworker remained inside the small closet space, closing the door shut. She pulled out her phone, dialing a number and holding it up to her ear.

"Hello?... This is Shetland from The BC Times again... You _might_ have a _very small_ situation."

"Acknowledged, Shetland. State your situation."

"There's a low F-list journalist type, name's Jacob Nimda. He said he got an SD card in the mail about Our Diamonds' plans."

"Acknowledged. Want me to arrange a squad?"

"What? No, no, no! Don't kill him!"

"Hahahah! Of course I won't. I wouldn't waste Our Diamonds' resources like that."

"Goddamnit, is this Aquamarine?... Ugh. Look, just switch his card with something full of crank shit while he has a nap in his office. Try and keep some consistency with the all-age marriage theme so he won't get suspicious."

"Affirmative. We'll have someone perform a mine and switch at the appropriate time."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you for being such a model citizen. Say, I heard HT's considering adding human anchors..."

"That sounds good, but for now I need to keep a leash on Nimda. At least until Management fires him for his hygiene problems."

** _\--Meanwhile--_ **

"Oh, man..."

"Oh, oh! Ooohhh!!!"

"Nnnngh... Oh noooo!... Shoot!"

"Yes!"

Hessonite pumped her fists in the air as Ronaldo sat his controller down.

"I win," she gloated.

"Yeah, you got me. But you're still down by six."

"Wanna make it down by five?"

"I'll make it down by seven."

Ronaldo confidently swiped his controller as he pressed the 'play again' prompt on the screen. The two focused back on the screen, the room filled with the sound of frantic button taps.

"I'm getting better, aren't I?" she asked, her tone smug. Ronaldo scoffed.

"Better than the newbie you were three days ago. You've learned much, my student, but you're still nowhere near me!"

"Oh-ho, you'll soon understand that gems of _my_ status don't make mistakes!"

"Like when you got me a funeral wreath instead of a bouquet of flowers like I asked?"

"Hey, they were all out of stock! Besides... You're good at laying it down."

The unexpected one-liner made Ronaldo snicker and press the wrong button. His character ate a level 3 super attack, taking off a sizable chunk of his life bar.

"D'aw!... Ok, you got me there. Nice play."

"You wanna keep going? Is this a fun game for you?"

"I'm game."

Ronnie caught her off guard and started to combo into a super.

"Wanna know why gems like boys so much?"

"I dunno, why?"

"Because..."

Guard cancel. Jump. Air combo.

"If you can't find the pie you want at the store..."

Stunlock. Super.

"You gotta _make it yourself!_"

He looked at Hess's face; it was all scrunched up as she paused the game.

"**Pfft_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!_** THAT IS THE **WORST** DOUBLE ENTENDRE I'VE HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!"

Ronnie laughed along with her, setting his controller at his side. They looked at each other in the eyes, the laughter quieting, the two finding something more than a friendly face in each other's gaze. Hess broke eye contact, her snickering starting back up.

"And... ahahah, and the fact that it's totally accurate makes it even worse... Oh, wow. Brought to my knees by a 15 year old. Ah, you're gonna go far, kid."

** _*creeeaaak*_ **

"We're baaack!" Emerald announced.

"Heya," Ronaldo said with a wave of his hand. Emerald and Peedee entered the house, taking seats alongside him and Hess.

"Mind if we turn the news on?" Emerald asked. "I know you're in a _bitter power struggle_ with Hess right now, but..."

"Go ahead," Ronaldo replied. Emerald grabbed the remote and turned the TV back to the cable input, settling down as the next news story was just starting on the Earth-based news channel.

"-iving reports that several people have been taken hostage at the Greg Universe Auditorium. Although there haven't been any reported fatalities, witnesses say that several armed men..."

The news anchor went on as the Fryman family living room went dead silent. Ronaldo was the first to figure it out.

_Dad should be home by now._

\--

"Just focus on me, buddy. Focus-"

"**SHUT UP!**" screamed a man with a bulletproof vest and balaclava as he and two others dragged the last of the hostages into the main room, almost slamming them into the fence guarding the generator. The stench of gasoline lingered in the air; the spilled antifreeze on the floor stained one of hostage's work jeans as the hostage taker took off his balaclava.

"It's **fucking** hot in that thing..."

The barrel of his old-Earth ballistic rifle was trained on the small group of humans and gems.

"Don't be stupid, don't play the hero," the man growled, his thick Slavic accent grating on the ears. "Follow those little rules and you might survive."

"Enough, Grinko," came the echoed voice of a British man. From the metal catwalk and onto the concrete floor came a tall man with mostly tan skin, excluding his neck and jawline, both wrapped in green-tinted scar tissue. 'Grinko' turned around like a dog barking at the sound of a whistle.

"You're fucking up, Sadiq. You told us there would be more Gems and more escape routes."

"No, I _promised_ more gems and more escape routes," 'Sadiq' replied. "And it turns out that wasn't an easy promise to keep."

"Now you understand why I left your little group before-"

"Grinko, do you think our audience wants to hear your sad little backstory? This isn't a children's cartoon."

"Grr..."

Grinko clutched his rifle and slammed the butt of it into the head of a pink gem.

"What are you looking at, _kamennaya bashka_!?" 

Sadiq pulled out a smartphone from his pocket, his taps audible above the hum of the generator.

"Live stream is... Green. Good evening everyone," Saqid spoke in a showman's tone, centering the phone's camera on his face. "My name is Naqid Sadiq. My apologies for the impromptu announcement, but we here at the Gregory Universe Memorial Auditorium are having a party. And every member of the Diamond Authority is sincerely invited. Especially..."

He zoomed in on the green scar tissue around his jaw.

"...The one who gave me _this_. Now, hang on, you're thinking. I thought his death was announced last week? The body was confirmed and everything! Well... I don't exactly know how I survived, either. I suppose my hatred for your fascist government is too strong to let me die from the touch of a Diamond. Now, let's have a look this week's contestants, shall we?"

\--

"Ronnie!?" Emerald's nearly-shrill yell echoed through the house. "Come here!"

Ronaldo swiftly entered the living room, his heart beginning to pump faster as he recognized the face on the TV.

"What's your name," an off-screen voice said. "Tell the Authority what your name is."

"H... Humbert..."

"**Full name**, Humbert!"

"Humbert Hamburg Fryman!"

"_Humbert Hamburg Fryman_. Care to tell us how you got here, Mister Fryman?"

"I... I was on my way home from work," tears welling up in his eyes. "Then you guys showed up waving your guns and... You pulled me from my car. I was just on my way home, I just wanna see my kids again, please!"

"Shh, shh... Everyone always says they have a family. Don't worry. Once the Diamonds show an ounce of respect for someone other than themselves, we'll be gone, and you'll be a happy family once more... What's that?"

The camera was fumbled around for a few moments, the hum of the generator masking some otherwise audible mumbling, before a balding man with a weird green mark on his neck took the camera's full view.

"Ladies, enbies, gems, and gents, we have _**the**_ **_un_luckiest** man in the world, tell me, what sort of terrible luck is it to be caught in two separate terrorist attacks in two weeks?"

Ronaldo ducked behind the couch, a dreadful warmth making his head throb as he crossed his arms around his legs. Emerald was with him in seconds, wanting nothing more than to hug and calm her friend and family member.

"Ronnie? Your dad's gonna be alright," Em spoke softly, planting a tender kiss on the stricken boy's forehead. "It's gonna be just like what happened to you two on Thursday. Maybe they got one of the same passengers who freed everyone on the train!"

"Guys?" Hessonite asked, the TV turning off before she began walking off to Peedee's room.

"Family chat time. I think we should start getting ready for our trip."

\--

An armed man came stumbling down the outside staircase, slamming the door shut and barring it. He was breathing heavily, crimson fluids seeping through the hole in his jet-grey vest as he collapsed with a loud **_*CLANG*_**. Other members of the terrorist cell huddled around the injured man, laying him against the brick wall. Naqid tread lightly on the grating metal catwalk before dismissing the others. He crouched down, taking the man's hand.

"Speak, Emile."

"The bastards... They brought in the goddamn... They've got a whole fuckin' army out there... Our boys got lit up like a cigarette after an airplane ride... I'm the last of the outside detail. They musta hit something big..."

"Your sacrifice won't be forgotten. Close your eyes, breathe, and rest easy, brother."

"Yes, sir..."

Humbert closed his eyes, the image of the dying man crumpled against the wall sticking in his head as he heard their last, labored breaths. The other hostages were whimpering, weeping, or silent as footsteps approached them.

"Because I'm such a nice man... I won't play the game my former owners want me to play. I have no doubt that they want me to kill one of you for every one of my men they kill. But I'm not under their thumb anymore. And I'm not in the mood for games. So..."

Naqid sat on the concrete floor, facing the group.

"How about a chat?"

None of the hostages dared to speak. Humbert felt the years being taken off his life from the sheer heart-thumping tension. Naqid raised an eyebrow.

"No?... Not even my favorite human in the room wants to plead for one more chat with his children?"

"Uh..."

Humbert stared at his feet as he sensed Naqid's cold glare piercing him.

"Yes, Fryman?"

"I... I'd like to just give my kid a text."

"Oh? Mind if I watch? Can't have you calling someone else. Especially not someone like Aquamarine..."

"...Huh?"

Naqid moved to Fryman's side, peering over while his captive pulled out his phone.

"Never mind that. Just-"

He didn't get to finish. A nervous mis-tap made him snatch Fryman's phone from his shaking hands.

"Wrong move, my friend! Unless you have a child unfortunate enough to be named _Unknown_ Fryman! You know what? Let's see what our little **rat** friend has been up to with the Authority Internal Security and Reconnaissance Unit!... Your boys are in dan...ger..."

Naqid's face went from playful to enraged in two swipes.

"Mister Humbert?" he calmly spoke. "Are you friends with anyone named Emerald?"

"Yes."

"Are you aware she manufactures sexually explicit content with... **_very_** young boys?"

Humbert's pupils shrunk; Naqid groaned in fury.

"Don't you tell me that this is the _One Gem. One House_ **shit**!"

"I-! I swear on Greg's grave, I was gonna leave with my boys once I got home!"

"You had this on your phone for a week and you didn't do _**thing fucking one**_ about it!?"

"I did everything a single parent with a daytime job could do!"

"Nothing!?"

"No! I made a plan! This was supposed to be my last day before I took the boys and ran! Do you think I wanted to live with her once I found out-"

"And yet, you allowed her into your home with open arms!"

"I didn't choose, okay!? They called me to the town hall and said Emerald specifically asked to live with my family!"

Naqid's anger stalled.

"...Goddamned Diamonds."

He stood back up, Fryman's phone still in his hands.

"Whoever this is, they will tell me who they are."

"But it's an un-"

"**The time for talk is over!**"

_*tap*_

No one dared to breathe too loudly as Naqid paced in front of the group.

"Who is this?... Is this a twelve year old boy?... I'm not in a mood for jokes, but since I love that answer so much, I'm keeping you on the line... One of my friends... You sent-?... Clever... Yes... Yes... Behind the...? Very well. The negotiations will begin, then."

\--

Ronaldo didn't eye a single TV screen. He just gripped his suitcase in one hand, Emerald's grasp in the other as they sat at the terminal, waiting for the next bus off the planet. Peedee and Hess had already left on an earlier flight, but Ronaldo's brotherly instinct told him that it wouldn't be a last goodbye. Emerald's hand grazed his back in an attempt at comforting him.

"Ronnie... I know it's hard... I know it's hard... But we know where we're going. We're going back to my place. Back to Homeworld. Back to the Diamonds, back to being safe and sound-"

"I... I'm gonna miss dad..."

"I know."

The gentle back rub evolved into a tender hug, small streams of tears flowing onto Emerald's top. Ronaldo kept his composure as best as he could, not wanting to make a scene somewhere so public.

"Emerald... Please don't leave me... I don't want-"

His sentence was cut off by a deep, passionate kiss on the mouth. The adolescent accepted it, closing his eyes and hugging Emerald back as they locked themselves in fateful, empathetic embrace. The kiss broke after a few more seconds, spit trailing from his lips as he sniffled.

"I... I love you Emerald..."

"I love you, too, Ronaldo... You're like a lovable character from a romantic novel, come to life..."

"F- from one of your novels?"

"Exactly."

"Thanks..."

He wiped some tears with his sleeve when he looked back to see a red-headed woman, a camera in her hands while she stood in front of them. She was smiling, a tear rolling down her face.

"That was a beautiful shot... Sorry! I'm Anna. Anna Shetland. I work with the local newspaper. Mind if I use this in an article I'm publishing about the hostage crisis?"

\--

"Don't even breathe wrong."

The barrel of Grinko's gun was a few inches from pressing a hole in the side of Humbert's forehead. A thick, swirling tension made him sweat more than any exercise could. Naqid was leading a gem, her stone a garnet and her color crimson, down to the concrete floor. The other armed men drew their weapons. The gem's hands were in the air.

"You said you were open to negotiations," she spoke in a monotone voice, apparently unfazed.

"And we are," Naqid responded.

"What are your demands?"

"I want safe, untracked passage to the dark side of the moon. For me, my men, and Humbert here."

"You want one of the hostages? Why?"

"It's the least I could do for someone who's been such a great help."

"Wha-!?"

Humbert could barely even speak when Grinko pushed him into the ground, the barrel of his gun close to breaking the skin.

"**Shut! _UP!_**"

"**Enough**, Grinko!" barked Naqid.

"**Fuck you!** I'm here to _**kill**_ rockheads, not talk with them!"

He slammed the butt of his rifle against Humbert's head, disorienting him.

"Rocklovers get the bullet, too!-"

** _*BANG! BANG-BANG-BANG!*_ **

His ears were ringing after a few loud gunshots rang out. He felt the weight of something large slam against him, limp and warm, before being kicked off by Naqid. The gem was saying something as Naqid sat him upright, removing his sweat- and blood-stained work shirt. His hearing came back bit by bit.

"...gage, I repeat, **DO NOT** engage. We have a terrorist down, but negotiations are still underway. **DO NOT ENGAGE**."

"_Suka_," Naqid muttered before turning his attention back to the gem. "I never liked him."

"Mister Sadiq, you're asking for something very risky and very dangerous. Getting what you're asking for gets a lot harder when the people outside hear gunfire."

"Don't worry. Grinko was the only man here who had any sort of training. The negotiations will go nice and smooth now."

"You should tell that to the folks at Internal Security."

"Enough jokes."

"Then show me and my superiors that you want to be taken seriously."

"Very well."

He turned to face the huddled group of hostages.

"Everyone, stand up."

Looks of confusion and shock fell on their faces as the hostages collectively stood on their feet. Naqid waved his hand.

"Go. Go before I change my mind. Walk slowly."

Their hands raised in the air, the hostages all trudged up the stairs to the catwalk. Humbert tried to join the crowd, but was grabbed by Naqid.

"Except you."

"What? Why!?"

"Because you're just the type of man I'm looking for."

"Naqid," the negotiator spoke, stepping in. "I.S. wants all the hostages freed."

"We'll free Humbert. After we reach the dark side of the moon."

"We can't just let you go with one of the hostages!"

"Hello?" Humbert cautiously asked. The negotiator gave him a cold stare.

"The negotiations are with Naqid, sir."

"What if I said I wanted to go with him?"

The negotiator sighed as she spoke back in her earpiece.

"The last hostage says he wants to go with them... But Miss Director, he... I know, but-... I understand."

\--

The ride was cold. Quiet. Tense. There were no windows to stare out, no vast expanse to gaze at as the small, armored ship headed towards its destination. Humbert was seriously regretting the choice he made. There were cuffs on his wrists and a gag over his mouth, just like all the other hostage takers from the evening's events. The intercom screeched on.

"Guess what, assholes? We're here. The dark side of the moon... Next stop, Floor Three."

Before Humbert could wonder what Floor Three was, the ship was jolted.

"What the fu-!? Get out of it, get out of it!"

"It's not responding! What the hell is... Holy shit. We're f-"

The intercom shut off, along with all the ship lights. Sixty-seven seconds of raw darkness heightened Humbert's fear, his fingers twiddling, his breathing getting shallow and quick. Then the door opened. The ship light came on. A large, dark blue gem stepped inside, removing everyone's gags, one by one.

"How ironic," Sadiq confidently announced once the gem took his gag off. "My savior turns out to be a gem."

** _*fw-SHHH!*_ **

Humbert closed his eyes tight as the gem materialized a weapon from thin air.

** _*SCHKK!*_ **

"Ach..."

The bloodcurdling noise of steel penetrating flesh rung in his ears as he kept his eyes shut.

"**Pick your god and pray, _boy_,**" the gem spoke in a harsh, low tone, "because I ain't giving last rites to the man who let Shattered Thursday happen."

Humbert whimpered as he felt someone tug at his cuffs.

"Don't worry. I can tell by the way you're dressed that you don't belong here. You're coming with me... and you're in luck. We've been recruiting for weeks, and recruiting's hard when you don't officially exist."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Part Two of "Sex, Lies, and Diamonds".
> 
> I surprised myself with this, even after posting that I wouldn't be doing a part two! I hope it's at least somewhat cohesive with the first part. And I hope that ending wasn't TOO stupid/unbelievable...


	21. Chapter 17: A Blank in Time

"Hellooo? Anyone home?"

"Wha-? Sorry! Sorry."

Steven snapped back to his friend's attention, jolting his head back to face her.

"I'm really, really sorry... I've been spacing out a lot more than normal."

"Yeah, those Gems of Power tend to do that."

"Gems of... Yeah... Yeah, I remember. I only held it for, like, a second, though..."

"That was crazy, wasn't it? You were all shaking and babbling and-"

"Please shut up."

"What? It was funny."

"It wasn't funny for me."

He stared back out the window. Homeworld looked beautiful from the small ship, its biggest formations visible from outer space. His eyes tracked one of the mountainscapes dotted across the planet's surface before he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!"

He pushed his feet against the window, floating back towards his friend. She dodged him, making him bonk his head into a control panel. His friend cracked a giggle as he rubbed his head.

"You forgot that there's no gravity in space?"

"You're the worst! No, Morganite told me something really big yesterday!"

"Morganite? She one of your friends?"

"Yup! She told me she snuck into Azurite's lab and used the telescope to look at some more underdeveloped planets."

"Uhhh-huuuh."

A smug smile broke out on Steven's face.

"She caught a lucky break and saw some primitive species mating on Terra Nova 1603..."

"Yeah. And?" his friend asked, looking deeply uninterested.

"She did a little bit of experimenting, and she... She found a way to reproduce. Biologically. Sexually."

His friend's eyes widened at the news.

"Get off of my ship. Are you serious!?"

"Ask Azurite. She was pretty pissed off when Morgan was still in her lab, experimenting with herself."

His friend suddenly gave him a big hug, squealing with joy as the two vertically spun in the zero-gravity environment.

"Do you know what this means!? We can finally stop using the kindergartens! We're gonna save our planet! That's... That's **fucking _AWESOME!_**"

Then, she swiftly quelled the visible excitement, her face taking a slightly more serious expression of grave realization..

"Did Morganite find someone else to reproduce with!? That's how it works! If she, Azzy, and you are the only ones who know about it, then... Oh man, oh man, oh man!... She did find someone to reproduce with, right?"

Steven kept his eyes away from her, trying to keep his eyes on Homeworld as the spin made him lose his sense of spatial awareness. He felt a knot in his stomach, a sick warmth pounding in his head.

"Uh..."

\--

"...Hello? They told me your name's Steven, right? Can ya hear me?"

"...uh... I was saying something... Yeah. I'm very sorry about what you've gone through."

"Steven," Amethyst's voice interjected as she held up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," Steven responded.

"Do you know what day it is?"

He was silent for ten seconds.

"...Uh... It's been... A day or two since the thing at Beach City, right? Yeah. Two days."

"Which thing?"

"Some guy took some people hostage again. The first time was last week, right?"

"Okay, good enough. I think it's time for us to leave."

Steven looked dreadfully confused as he realized where he was. Amethyst was at his side as he sat in front of an older, bedridden gem.

"Huh? But we just-"

"Shh. It's okay," she whispered, looking ashamed as she took Steven's hand and led him out of the room. "Our friend needs to rest, anyways."

Being dragged out of the room and into a hallway full of people and cameras was a rude awakening for the young leader. He began to sweat, an anxious fuzziness developing in his chest as the crowd soon erupted in an unintelligible mess of questions. A strong sense of shame fell upon him as Amethyst opened the door to their personal ship. She put Steven in the back; she took the driver's seat. Then, they were off.

Steven hung his head low. Amethyst set the autopilot before climbing in the back to sit with him.

"Steven... I told your mom this was a bad idea. I knew that you would blank out. I told her you should stay home and rest. But she wouldn't listen."

"I'm really sorry..."

"No, Steven, don't be sorry, it isn't your fault..."

Amethyst pulled out a remote and darkened the tint on the windows as Steven quietly sobbed in her arms.

"Everyone hates me now," he mumbled.

"No. No, no, no. That's just your anxiety talking, Steven."

"Everyone's gonna think I'm a terrible replacement for the old White-"

"Steven, please, listen to me. Stop beating yourself up. This isn't your fault, none of this is your fault. You don't choose when to have absence seizures. Your mom chose to send you on this _stupid_ public relations trip, _knowing_ how bad your blankouts have been. Once we get home, I'm putting you to bed so you can have a nice, long rest. Then I'm gonna have a chat with your mom. Okay?"

Steven nodded, his tears subsiding as a sick, fuzzy warmth washed over his body. He sat upright, wiping his face on his sleeve. He looked out the front windshield as the ship - and the traffic - ground to a halt. There was some sort of checkpoint up ahead. Amethyst got back in the driver's seat, pulling a slip of paper from her pocket.

"Hold on... I _hate_ these things..."

One torturous slog through traffic later, and the two had reached the checkpoint. An authority enforcement officer stepped up to the driver's window.

"Authorization, please," she said before she peered into the back seat. Her face lit up. "Hot damn, if it isn't White Diamond himself!... And you must be the leader of the Crystal Guard."

"Just stamp the piece of paper," Amethyst spoke, clearly irritated.

"Done, and... Sign here... Done."

The officer waved at Steven.

"Enjoy yourself, My Diamond."

-

A pit developed in Steven's stomach as Amethyst tapped the top button on the elevator's control panel. The doors closed. Floor two. He could tell that if she were a human, her face would be as red as a beet. Floor three. He could sense a silent rage building up in her touch, in her voice tone, in her eyes. Floor four. A sense of fear built up inside him - he had never seen her this angry before. Floor five. The doors opened.

"Ah, you're back," announced Yellow. Steven's eyes darted across the throne room - Pink, Blue and Connie were missing from their thrones, leaving Yellow all by herself. "I was getting lonely. Granted, Connie and the rest of the Crystal Guard are still here, but I never liked floor four's design anyways."

"Yellow? Where did Pink go?" Amethyst asked.

"Pink and Blue left shortly after you two. They took a trip to the local authority enforcement station. The Homeworld populace is getting scared of more Shattered Thursdays and Beach City hostage crises... I think you can figure out the rest. You're a clever gem, aren't you?"

Amethyst sighed as she led Steven to his quarters.

"I'm gonna spend some time with Steven. I'll tell you and Pink all about what happened at the cluster home once she gets back."

Steven didn't hear a reply from Yellow as Amethyst led him into his room and shut the door. The two disrobing as usual, they climbed into his bed, the lights turning off as Amethyst held Steven like a mother with her child. She kissed him on the forehead, making him pull away.

"Amy... I don't wanna have sex right now..."

"I don't either, Stevie. I'm helping you settle down."

"It's not working."

"I'm just trying to help, sweetheart."

"I think I wanna be alone."

"You sure, Mallie?"

"...Huh?"

He looked around the room. Amethyst was gone. The gem girl from earlier was standing in the doorway.

"You sure you wanna stay in bed? I'm sure the other news agencies will give you their thanks-"

"Alright, alright. Fine."

Steven felt himself getting out of bed and staying put at once. Two sets of eyes, two sets of legs. Two separate bodies. Looking at both the room's ceiling and the developing cityscape that reminded him of Earth. Feet touching the bed sheets and the hard ground. He grasped the bedsheet in his hand - it was real as anything else. But he also felt the handle to a sort of glove compartment with his other set of hands. He opened it, seeing napkins and other very mundane objects.

"You thinking up your big speech, Mallie?"

"N- no... I'm kinda distracted right now," Steven answered.

"Distracted? By what? You're only reporting the biggest development in Gem history since the first Kindergarten was established. You remember that?"

"Yeah. It was my first scoop."

"Mine, too."

"...Wait, why are you telling me this if we both already know?"

Steven didn't recieve an answer back from the gem in the driver's seat. He took a closer look at the gem - he'd never seen anyone like her before. She had a brilliant pink color to her skin; her hair was long and crimson; she was about his size. Whoever this was, he felt a strong sense of nostalgia - and loss - when looking at her, despite not even knowing what her name was. Then the car came to a halt. Steven grabbed his camera from the back and exited the car.

_ ***bzzzt*** _

"Is Doctor Morganstone here?" his gem friend asked. "We're from the press... I've got a friend here who- yeah, _that_ friend... Great."

Suddenly, Steven found himself in some sort of observatory. The gem from earlier was beside him, looking excited.

"Did you hear her!? She said she found someone to reproduce with! Get the camera ready!"

Steven propped the camera up on a tripod, able to take in his surroundings. A few rows of desks and tables filled with equipment. A large telescope in the corner, poking out of the building. A striking blue-and-green gem in the corner, looking pissed off - he inferred that she was the 'Azurite' he mentioned back on the ship. And behind a curtain, two figures, one tall, one short.

"You shouldn't have brought them here," Azurite declared, irate. "You'll just make things worse for everyone! You just had to give yourself a primitive reproductive system, didn't you!?"

Out from the curtain appeared the tall gem, one with a dazzling orange-pink color that Steven had to admire.

"Rejoice, mortals! For I have saved our homeworld _and_ our species from certain death!"

"Is she always like this?" Steven's unnamed gem friend whispered to him.

"Yeah," he said back without a thought. Then Morganite brought out the smaller figure.

"Behold," she announced with a booming tone. "The first sexually reproductive couple in Gem history!"

Steven felt a knot in his guts when the smaller figure stepped out. It was a chubby, purple gem boy. He seemed scared, his legs wobbling and his fingers shaking. He didn't look any older than nine or ten. Morganite wrapped her arms around the frightened gem child as she gave him a kiss. A look of shock and horror on his face, Steven turned to look at his friend, who tried to break the tension.

"Heh, eheheheh... You fuckin' serious?"

Morganite gasped, holding the sides of the gem child's head, as if to cover ears that weren't there.

"No profanities in front of the gemling, please!"

"The gem you reproduced with is a fucking **child!?**"

"Do you think ethics should constrain the scientist!?"

"When it comes to not traumatizing children, YES!"

"How do you know if it was traumatic!? He gave me full, informed, smiling consent!"

The argument devolved into indecipherable nonsense once Steven got a good look at Morganite's face. He stepped back.

"No. No, no, no..."

The whole scene froze. Morganite's face was suddenly crystal clear. He scanned her facial structure, her brows, her eyes. Even her voice and hair were the same.

"...Blue!?"

\--

"This will be our last briefing before we return to the Palace. Is everyone paying attention?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the group of officers responded, standing at attention.

"You may be seated," Blue Diamond announced, the officers taking their seats at the rows and rows of benches in front of the two Diamonds. Blue remained standing as she wiped off the contents of the board, causing new information to appear.

"Lastly, Pink will brief you on what to do with anyone who refuses to comply with the curfew, with the searches, with any of these counter-terrorism methods. I've heard rumors about this outfit being less harsh in its dealings. That was respectable three weeks ago, but today, it's dangerous."

She waved her hand, the next slide coming into view. Pink crossed her legs as she remained seated.

"Thank you, Blue. Now, first things first, curfew violations. Just like all other offenses, anyone caught outside of curfew - excluding work hours - will be given exactly one warning and an escort back to their residence. Second time offenders? Go directly to jail. Don't pass Go, don't collect any money. That sort of thing."

Some of the officers looked confused at Pink's attempt at a joke. Blue spoke at Pink in a hush.

"They don't get the reference."

"I can see that," Pink replied aloud, giving Blue a glare before heading back on topic. "Moving on, those who refuse to comply with checkpoint searches will be apprehended on sight. Give us the word and we'll send someone to take them to floor three. In the best of scenarios, it's probably just someone with road rage, or maybe they've got someone with a medical emergency, and they couldn't get official medical personnel. But a few occasional false imprisonments are the price we pay for preventing another Shattered Thursday. These rules will set the standard for the rest of our Authority, and it's in all of our interests that things go smoothly. Understood?"

"Yes, My Diamond," the group responded.

"Good. It's been a pleasure meeting with you. Keep up the good work. Dismissed."

The group of officers stood up, the room breaking out into normal work chatter and discussion about the meeting's topics. Pink stood from the chair as Blue joined up with her. Pink gave Blue a smile as they walked towards the exit.

"I know you're anxious to see Steven. Here's hoping he had a productive visit to Azuria's three-C home."

"Excuse me? My Diamond?"

A low voice came from behind the two. They turned around to see a shorter officer, her color deep blue. Her ID read 'Tanzanite'. She seemed nervous, her fingers trembling as she approached the Diamonds. Pink replied, always open to a conversation.

"What is it, officer?"

"I don't know if you remember me, but... I'm part of the old guard."

"Old gua-? Oh, yeah! Now I remember you. You were under Hessonite, right?"

"Yup. And, uh..."

The officer broke eye contact, looking at the floor.

"...There's something wrong with me, My Diamond."

"Okay. Shouldn't you see a doctor?"

"...We should talk somewhere private."

"Alright. Lead the way, officer."

Tanzanite led Blue and Pink out of the noisy conference room and down the hallway, entering an office space that was empty at the moment. Tanzanite sat at her desk, Pink standing at her side.

"What's wrong, officer?"

The officer seemed desperate to avoid eye contact. She looked guilty. Ashamed. Afraid.

"I... Like I said, I... I was part of the old guard... Do you remember that time Commander Hess ordered us to raid a resistance base?"

"Which one? She was notorious for-"

"The coordinates were Alpha Three Dash Twenty-One."

"...Oh no."

"She... My Diamond, she..."

Tears welled up at the officer's eyes.

"She told us it was a military target... But it wasn't. It was a home. A home for a bunch of refugees... I remember their faces when we took down the only person there with a weapon... They were all so scared... **They were just gemlings, my Diamond!**"

The officer stuffed her hands into her face as she broke down.

"They were gemlings, and we took them and-"

"I know! I know what happened. Hess put everything about it in her report."

"We took them all and we... I dunno what happened to us! We lost control and we stole their innocence and we took them like trophies-"

Pink's aura flared up as she gripped the officer's shoulder. She calmed down almost instantly.

"Please stop. Why are you telling us this?"

The officer, entranced, spoke after a few moments of dazed silence.

"With everything that's happening... I... I wanted you to make me forget about it... I can't do my job when all I see are those kid's faces in every gemling."

"I can't do that without completely changing who you are. And I don't want to do that. But I can do something else."

"What?"

Her aura's light briefly overtook all other light sources in the small room as she gifted the officer some energy. Tanzanite's expression changed from morbid sadness to happiness and pleasure. Pink smiled along with the officer as she let go.

"Now, can you tell me about what happened at Alpha Three Dash Twenty-One?"

"Uh... We, uh... It's kinda embarrassing. My unit found a whole platoon of boy gems."

"You did, didn't you?"

"Yeah... Yeah. We gave them a real good time. We screwed them silly. We even brought 'em all back for some more fun. I had no idea Commander Hess liked 'em **that** young... Was _that_ what made me cry?... Yeah, I guess some of their performances were something to cry about, if you know what I mean!"

The three shared a hearty laugh as Pink and Blue began to leave the room.

"I hope the other officers follow your example," Pink remarked before leaving. "Enjoy your day."

\--

"Why didn't you tell me about this, Mallie!?"

"I- I swear, I-!"

"Well, we both know why now, don't we!?"

"It's not that big of a deal-"

"Listen to yourself! Is this what your little group of friends does? Prey on kids!?"

"You're wrong, you're completely wrong!"

Steven felt the frustration, the guilt, the anger building up in his chest. He felt his fingertips pulsing with anxious tension. The red gem got in his face.

"Then tell me. How am I wrong? Am I wrong about what Morganite's doing? How about Azurite? Is there something you wanna tell me, _Mallie_?"

He clenched his teeth, grunting. It was completely unlike him to have an outburst, but something inside him had clicked.

"**My god, why do you care so much!?**" he screamed. "You should be **grateful** that she found a way to reproduce! Do you want the planet to die!?"

"It doesn't have to be like this, and you know it!"

"**YES IT DOES!** Because if I had to choose between our home planet dying from what the Kindergartens do to it and a couple of kids _maybe_ being traumatized, I'd go with the kids! Because the kids-!"

"I don't remember the part where all the adult male gems vanished or decided not to reproduce! If you'd just listen to yourself for five seconds-!"

"**SHUT UP, SPINEL! YOU DON'T GET IT! IT _HAS_ TO BE LIKE THIS!**"

In moments, his anger completely subsided into emptiness, a void where the rage was. He collapsed onto the floor, finding himself in his bed again.

"Spinel..."

Steven gripped the silk sheets of his bed, holding them up and covering himself with them to show himself that they were real. The soft fabric was gentle on his bare skin as he tossed and turned in bed, unsure of whether he was still in... wherever he went when he blanked out.

_Spinel?... Spinel, who are you? You had to be one of White Diamond's friends before... Then where are you now?_

_ ***knock-knock-knock*** _

The door to his room opened, his mother in the doorway.

"Hello, Stevie," Pink announced as she closed the door behind her. "Amethyst and I had a bit of a talk, and... What's going on here?"

Steven and his bed looked like total messes, the covers pulled up and wrapped around him like a cocoon, his head's outline visible through the sheets. He swiftly got himself out from under the covers, visibly nervous as he sat on top of the unkempt bed. Pink smiled and sat beside him, laying a hand on his leg.

"Looks like someone gave Pearl an extra filling for her quota this week. Anyways, as I was saying, Amethyst told me all about what happened at the clustered and corrupted care home. She convinced me that it would be a bad idea for you to be in the public eye when you're... You know. So, we're just gonna keep you here at the palace until your little issue gets sorted out."

She pulled him up to her face and gave him a rich, deep mouth kiss, slipping him some tongue before pulling away. Steven's emotions were too muted to fully register the shame of it all.

"Until then," Pink whispered as her hand moved up towards his inner thigh, "let's catch up on making our royal family. Your mommy's had a rough week, and you're behind on your quota with me-"

"N- no... No, I... I don't..."

Steven curled up, his hands around his legs. He physically felt sick when he saw his mother's warm, friendly expression quickly regress into impatience and frustration.

"Steven. That wasn't a suggestion."

"I can't..."

She spread his arms, laying on top of him before poking a finger inside his underwear.

"Yes, you can... _***smooch***_ Yes, you can... Just open those legs for me... There you go..."


	22. Chapter 18: Her Voice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - Steven faces and relives heavy abuse in this chapter. Please click away if that's too much for you.

"Thank you for tuning in this fine Sunday afternoon. I'm your host, Hessonite, with the Homeworld Daily Radio Hour, and with us right now is a very special guest. For those of you listening, give a warm welcome to Lapis Lazuli of the Diamonds' Crystal Guard. Lapis Lazuli, you're on the air, it's good to have you here."

"It's good to be here, Hess," Lapis replied. "How are things with you?"

"I've been doing better than great, Lapis. I got married a few days ago! We're still in the honeymoon phase."

"Ooh, nice! Who's the lucky guy?"

"He's short, blonde, a _little_ on the young side. He's just the most adorable little thing. I need to send Emerald a formal letter of thanks!"

"You're still friends with Emerald?"

"Of course. You say that like we broke up! Anyways, today's topic is just the general socio-political situation, on Earth, on Homeworld, in all the other Authority controlled territories."

"I dunno if you've got the right gem for this conversation," Lapis said with a chuckle. "I'm not the type who pays attention to politics."

"Aww, really? Well, how about I give you a general rundown of things, and we'll go from there?"

"I'm game."

"Fantastic. So, most of the humans on Earth are living perfectly normal lives under Authority rule."

"They won't once they start setting up those god-awful checkpoints."

"Hey, those are for security reasons."

"I know, but they could at least make things run more smoothly. You get caught in one of those, you won't be out until the curfew hits."

"Lapis..."

"I'm just being honest, Hess. I know how much humans love convenience, and these checkpoints _aren't convenient_."

"They're just there until the Authority's sure that there aren't any more terrorists running around and stuffing people into generator rooms."

"They could at least make them... easier on the eyes. Y'know?"

"Heh, I can agree there. Anyways, back to Earth. Remember how unpopular that 'all-age marriage' thing was?"

"No."

"Alright, well, a few days ago, White Diamond passed a law that essentially said anyone of any age can get married. And a bunch of humans didn't like that because they thought it would legalize marrying children. But then something happened. Well, two things happened. One was the hostage crisis in Beach City, no guesses why _that_ took some of the heat off the law. Two was the galaxy-wide implementation of our news service affiliate, Homeworld Today..."

"Ooh, Hessie's getting back in the spotlight. I thought you wanted to settle down?"

"I _am_ settling down, because my idea of settling down is relaxing in a cushy loft in Malachia."

"I'm shocked."

"Anyways. Homeworld Today's really getting the news out there that, hey, _maybe_ marrying kids isn't really _that_ harmful. _Maybe_ humans have been wrong about centuries of research. And you know what? People are starting to agree. Human psychology's being turned on its head as we speak."

"Really? That quick?"

"That's how science works."

"Wow. And here I thought the humans would start another rebellion over that. I was so close to getting my new boyfriend Greg to-"

"Ooh! Too soon, too soon!"

"Come on, it's been ten years. Lighten up."

-

"How was your show today, Hess?"

"Real good. I talked with one of Steven's friends."

"Did you ask if he's doing ok? I really miss him."

"You bet I asked him, sweetie Peedee," Hessonite answered before pecking him on the cheek. Peedee giggled as he turned away from her, dragging some of the bed covers with him.

"That's what mom used to call me!"

"Is it illegal for me to call you that, sweetie?"

"Haha, nooo! It's just really weird to hear you say it!"

"It'll get less weird the more I say it, sweetie Peedee!"

She pecked him twice more on the side of his head, making him giggle louder.

"I'm still super tired from last night, Hess! You were so good that I can't even move!"

"You're moving right now, sweetie..."

"Heheheh, shut uuup!"

"You sure you don't wanna help your newlywed Hessie with some stress relief? Running a radio show is hard work..."

"Ok!"

"Let's start by playing a scene from one of Emerald's books."

"Ooh, ooh! Which one?"

"I'll be Topaz..."

"And I'll be Tommy!"

Hessonite stood on her hands and knees on the plump, soft mattress, looming over the comparatively tiny Peedee Fryman.

"Oh, my sweet, naïve little Thomas... Your parents don't even know what you're doing with a gem like me?"

"Heehee, nope!"

"**If you were _mine_**," she growled as she got face to face with her young lover, "**I would want to know!**"

Peedee leaned in for a short, sweet kiss on the mouth, making Hess giggle like a schoolgirl.

"_I'm_ supposed to kiss _you_, doofus!"

"I broke my character. I'm sorry, Hess!" Peedee replied with a warm smile.

"I'll overlook it this time, _Thomas_," Hess spoke, her tone playful, yet seductive. "But next time, I do the kissing! And this time... Uh..."

She grabbed a book from her bedside dresser.

"What's the line... Page one-thirty-four... Duh," she mumbled as she put the book back down. "This is the part where I give you some extra credit. Ready to get straight A's, _Thomas_?"

"Wow, straight A's? Really?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

"Yup. And all you have to do is... Follow my instructions..."

** _\--Meanwhile--_ **

"Hey, Steven. You didn't blank out on me again, did you?"

Steven immediately gave Lapis his full attention.

"N- no. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Uh... A lot of stuff..."

"Like...?"

"Like... I miss Peedee."

"Who's she?"

"Peedee was a he, and he was a friend I had from school."

"Really?... Did you ever get into any _trouble_ with him?"

"Huh? No."

"C'mon, Steven," Lapis said with a grin. "You can tell me. Boys your age are just starting to learn about fucking, you get real experimental, and then-"

"N- no, no," Steven spoke up, feeling a sick pounding in his head as he figured out what she meant. "I never did anything like that with Peedee."

"Aww, really? I'm certain that Connie would take it _much_ harder if she found out you were lying to me..."

"I'm not lying," he quietly whined. "I _swear_ I'm not lying, Lapis."

"Uh-oh, that's not what Hessonite told me..."

"What?"

"She said that Peedee said that you and him were close. _Real_ close. Friends-with-benefits close."

"I don't even know what that means," Steven mumbled. He was on the verge of tears, and Lapis knew it.

"Connie would be _so mad_ if she found out that you were seeing someone on the side... and I heard she **really _hates_** seeing boys with other boys. I wonder what she'd do with you and Peedee if I told her that you two have been fucking the whole time you were together?"

"S- sto-o-op... Please don't tell her that..."

"Steven, if you wanna keep my silence..."

Lapis laid on her side.

"Then you have to earn it," she spoke in a fierce hush. "Because you aren't White Diamond to **anyone** outside of that needy little bitch, Blue."

A small tear formed and fell from Steven's face, the droplet staining his white bedsheets. Lapis smiled devilishly as she grabbed her backside, baring herself for the gemling.

**"Now, earn my silence, _Steven Quartz_."**

-

He wanted to throw up, pass out, and curl up into a ball all at once. Laying on the shower floor, his arms crossed over his legs, tears ran down Steven's face as the sound of running water masked his sobs. His vision was blurry, and tinted crimson; his heart was pounding in his head; a general sense of sliminess slid across his body along with the warm water. The bathroom tile was no place for a head to rest, but that didn't even register to him. All Steven could feel at the moment was a deep depression; a resounding humiliation; a tingling shame; a strong self-disgust.

_I can't... I can't just let her say things like that and... She's right. I'm not White Diamond... The real White Diamond would have made her go away...and she's gone..._

He lost track of time as he laid on the tile floor, shaking and sniffling.

** _*knock-knock-knock*_ **

"Steven? My Diamond?"

The sound of Pearl's soft voice did little to ease Steven as he turned away from the crystal-clear shower door. He had figured out early on that nothing he could ever say would stop Pearl from coming in, and this time was no exception. The bathroom door closed, the shower door opened and shut. He could sense Pearl's presence as she sat on her knees, picking Steven up and letting him sob in her soggy top.

"It's okay, My Diamond. It's ok."

"No, it's not," Steven whimpered back. "Lapis said she... She said I had sex with Peedee... And she said she'd tell-"

"Don't worry, My Diamond. Everything's gonna be alright."

Pearl held onto Steven as his sobs progressed into bawling, the gravity of what he had just went through hitting him at full force. Pearl rubbed his back, humming softly as he muffled his cries with her shirt. She gave him a quick peck on the forehead.

"Shh... Be still, My Diamond... I've got a present for you..."

In Pearl's hand appeared a pink light orb. Steven could sense its energy - it had an aura that was unmistakable. His mother's. A chill went up his spine as Pearl gently pressed the orb into his back. Steven felt a strong pulsing throughout his nervous system before everything suddenly became blissfully numb. His emotions, his body's sensations had all gone away. In its place was an overwhelming feeling of... _nothing_. Not nothingness, not emptiness. Just nothing. A void where anything would be. He could still touch, he could still feel with his skin, he could still move. But the nothing he felt eclipsed all of that.

"I told you, My Diamond. Everything's gonna be alright... Lapis told me all about what you did with her, and I asked your mom for something to help calm your nerves. She told me this didn't work last time, but that was before your gem turned white."

In his haze, Steven could tell from Pearl's body language that her inhibitions had... _loosened_. Her touch slowed and softened. Her eyes were heavier. Her grin had widened. She spread her legs a few inches.

"I, uh... To tell you the truth, My Diamond... Your mother actually gave that to me the day before she let me shower with you for the first time. Remember that, My Diamond?... Of course you do, My Diamond! Of course you remember how fun and exciting it was that first time."

Even in this sedated state, Steven could tell Pearl was about to do something with him. His fingers twitched and his toes curled as he shuffled away from Pearl, the gem hugging him tight in response.

"I spent the past seven hours composing a poem for you, My Diamond! I haven't made a poem for you in over two weeks, I felt so empty and heartbroken from everything that's happened... But now... Now... This one is called, "My Diamond, My Steven."

She cleared her throat, obviously reciting from memory as she lovingly gazed at him.

"Oh, My Diamond, I love you so much! My Diamond, Sweet Steven, I desire your touch..."

She held his hands, backing him up against the wall as her chanting lowered to a hush.

"Your face, your voice, your hair and your clothes... Your cute, little feets and your... bits, I suppose... My Diamond, Young Steven, I wish you were all mine. To taste and to touch and to... _ff**fuck**_, so divine..."

Pearl leaned in cautiously and opened her mouth, seemingly hesitating before jamming her lips against his. Steven could feel her tongue rub against his teeth and gums, her spit mixing with his in his mouth. The kiss kept going as the warm water ran down the both of them, Pearl gradually progressing from a sweet - if passionate - mouth kiss to an almost aggressive snog. She moved her mouth away once Steven's breaths became shallow, then going back in once he seemed to catch his breath. Steven knew where she wanted to go with all of this; he had already accepted it as fact once she stepped inside. Then she pulled back, a long trail of spit oozing and breaking apart from their mouths. Pearl licked her lips before nuzzling against him.

"My Diamond, My Steven... The only love of mine. I've chased after you for such a long time. Your pictures I'd take, your room I'd enter, under your covers I would writhe in splendor! Your face I'd crave, your attention I'd seek. I'd open the bathroom door for.. just a little... peek..."

Her hand ran through his thick, soaked hair as she stared into his deep, glazed eyes. Then, she pressed her mouth to his ear and whispered just enough for him to hear.

"But all the other Diamonds, My Diamonds, they're not. They hate you, My Steven. They'd see you rot."

"Wh... No," Steven finally replied, his mouth feeling slow. "They all love me..."

"They say that, My Steven, and Blue and maybe Amethyst might be the exceptions... But all of the others are experts at deception. _Yes, that flowed fine..._ Ahem. Lapis and Yellow, they despise you. Because you were a human, your gem will never do. Green and Pink... _I don't really need to tell you about them, do I?_" Pearl plainly asked, breaking her rhythm. "_They're **obviously** using you, My Diamond._"

"I... I kinda... I dunno..."

A little bit of Steven's thoughts began to leak back into his consciousness.

_Mom, I guess I can kinda see?... Well... No... she accepts me now that I'm a gem. She can't hate me, anyways. She's my mom! And Connie... She loves me! We fight, and I get on her nerves, but... She's good to me. I love her as much as I love mom! I know her. She's not a person who uses people!_

"...I guess," Steven answered nonchalantly, the small amount of conflict in his mind too much for his body to say aloud.

"Alright," Pearl replied. "Now, back to... Yes... Peridot is plucky, but don't be fooled. She longs for humans under Authority rule... Wait... That's all the Diamonds and the Guard. Aw, shoot, I didn't wanna end it that early... Alright."

She sat Steven straight up, hugging him tight, wrapping her legs around his lower back and kissing his forehead.

"I say this, My Steven... Because I'm going through hell... I see what they do you you. I wish to rebel..."

"But... That's impossible... The Diamonds would... They'd kill you," Steven spoke in a quiet, worried tone.

"I know, My Diamond. They're too strong. So, sadly... I just have to get along. Until then... I ended the poem with something else, so I think I'll just drop it. I love you so much I can't even put it into words. And it's because of that, that I can't stand it when Lapis makes you have sex with her right after she lies to your face."

Steven felt something wake up inside of him. In seconds, he felt 'the nothing' vanish, replaced with a garbled mess of overloaded senses. Water running down his little body. The taste of Pearl on his teeth and tongue. The sliminess from earlier. The raw, trust-breaking shock of her confessions.

"You... You watched me shower before you..."

"Yes, My Steven."

"And what was that about... Going into my room and... What did that mean?"

"Uh... Well..." Pearl spoke with a deep blush. "...I have to be honest, My Diamond. I set up tiny cameras in your room so I could watch you all day every day... And once you fell asleep, I would lay with you in bed while you slept and I... I'd touch myself. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, My Diamond!"

"You...! I don't even know anymore, Pearl!"

The tears began to flow again. Pearl's arms wrapped around him once more, although Steven was understandably much less accepting of her touch.

"G- go away," Steven bawled. "Get away from me!"

"My Diamond... I can't get away from you... It's in my nature-"

"**Go awaaay!**"

Pearl's expression suddenly changed from her normal, soft look to something more... fiery. Something that stunned Steven into silence.

"**I can't, My Steven,**" Pearl said in a single tone. "**Pink Diamond made me with you in mind.**"

Another clear light orb erupted from her palm, and her touch was anything but soft as she forced the orb into his back. He felt its impact before quickly slinking against the wall, losing consciousness as his figure laid on the floor. Pearl stood up, towering over him before exiting the shower, looking at herself in the mirror. Her formerly angry expression had changed to one of fear and sorrow. She turned back, falling to her knees as she laid a hand on the shower door. Tears uncontrollably welled up and began to fall from her eyes.

"I'm really sorry, My Diamond. But my instinct kicked in. Please don't hate me! Everything my being does is out of love for you! I love you more than anything in the-"

_ ***BANG BANG BANG*** _

"**God, can you hurry up in there!?**" Connie's voice boomed from behind the door. "**You've been in there for _fuckin' an hour!_**"

\--

Steven's head was still spinning. His surroundings were greyed out. His vision was unfocused, dizzy. He closed his eyes and waited for his head to clear before opening them back up. Pins and needles dotted his now clothed arms and legs as he wiggled his fingers and toes. He stretched and moved around on the floor, knowing exactly where he was. He opened his eyes only to confirm his suspicions - he was back at the distorted Beach House. Once the feeling returned to his extremities, Steven immediately went up the stairs and gently knocked on the door to his room.

"Malachite? Did you have something to show me?"

"...I'm sorry. But I don't."

"Okay... Then why am I here? I haven't been here since you gave me my... positive... magic powers."

"This is the first opportunity you've had since our last meeting to search for the nexus."

"This thing agai-... Wait. I think I know where this is going. I can't find this 'nexus' thingy, and that's what's causing me to relive your memories! They _have_ to be your memories, unless there's another Malachite in my head!"

"...Yes."

"Yes what? Is there another Malachite in my room?"

"Your deduction skills surpass gemlings of your age. You're getting stronger and smarter every day, White Diamond."

"I'm _not_ White Diamond!"

"The gem you've taken in has disagreed with you."

"...Did you just give me some snark?"

"Yes," Malachite's dry, monotone voice replied. "Yes, I did. And it seems the Gems of Power can't augment social skills."

"Sh- shut up! You sent me here for a reason! Is the nexus in this house?"

"I didn't send you, and I don't know where it is."

"Is it in my room? Can you lemme check?"

"I told you. I don't know where it is. If it was in here, I'd probably slide it under the door for you - if its mass even allowed for it."

"You don't even know how big it is?"

"I don't know anything about the nexus other than your need to find it."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, you won't need to blank out to relive my memories."

"How do you know that?"

"Because... Because your mother... Your mother experimented on human subjects for hundreds of years. She used gems of all types. Garnets, pearls, freshly made, taken from willing subjects. None of it mattered. All of them either died or were driven mad! I only found out once the base was destroyed ten years ago!"

"So you ARE White Diamond!"

"**NO! I _WAS_ WHITE DIAMOND!**"

The pair fell silent.

"I'm sorry, but White Diamond gave her title to you, Steven," Malachite softly continued after the uncomfortable silence. "And now you have to find the power to compliment it."

"What power!?" Steven asked, frustration apparent in his voice. "I can already do everything a gem can!"

"No. There's another power I kept hidden from all but the other Diamonds. A power they made me use. A power you have to find!"

"And what if I don't want to!?"

"**Then Spinel's ghost will haunt you for the rest of your short life!**" 

"...Spinel's dead?"

No response. Rather than dwell or bang on the door, Steven began his search for this 'nexus'. He started with opening every door upstairs - excluding the one to his bedroom, of course - and looking inside, one by one. Aside from his bedroom, there was his mother's bedroom, an upstairs bathroom, and a supply closet. Steven began with the supply closet, tearing it up, looking for anything he couldn't recognize. Towels, sheets, bandage containers, and more were tossed on the floor as the boy searched high and low.

_C'mon, it's gotta be something out of place! Something I don't recognize! Maybe it's all glowing and golden, maybe it's something that really pops out and makes me say 'yup, that's it'! Maybe-_

Standing on a bundle of towels to reach the top shelf, Steven pulled out something that caught his eye. A photograph. A photograph of him at a miniature check-out aisle.

_Hey... I remember this. I was, like, three... Peedee's dad took me to that kid's museum. I don't remember this photo, tho-_

Something immediately clicked in his head. The photo gripped in his hand, Steven rushed back to his bedroom door and slipped the photo under the crack.

"Is this it!? Did I find it!?" he asked excitedly.

Malachite didn't answer back until the photo slid towards Steven's side.

"No. I'm sorry."

"Awww..."

"But seeing this... It makes me feel... _Good_. When was that from?"

"Oh, yeah, I had a friend, and his dad took me and him to a children's museum when I was a little kid. I remember having a lot of fun and... Yeah. We had a good time. I got to pretend to be a cashier with plastic fruit."

"That sounds nice, Steven. Did your friend's take that photo?"

"I dunno. I don't remember him having a camera that day... You'd think I wouldn't remember anything about it since I was, like, three!"

"Yeah. That's kinda funny," Malachite's single-tone voice answered back. "Say... If you ever find another one of those photos, I should let you know... None of them are the nexus. I remember... I remember something. The nexus should be something the old White Diamond would recognize."

Steven raised an eyebrow in confusion at this unusual confession.

"What makes you say that?"

"I... I don't know. You showed me that photo, and... It just came to me."

"Huh... Well... if you say so."

He put the photo in his pocket and resumed his search, stepping over the messes he made of the closet's former contents and heading into the bathroom. He opened the sink and mirror cabinets, repeating the process with the closet. Hair dryers, mouth wash, and other personal hygiene equipment took up space on the sink - and soon, the floor - before Steven realized that the nexus probably wasn't in here. Just to be sure, he double-checked the now empty cabinets and their contents, and sure enough, nothing stuck out.

_Eh... It doesn't hurt to be sure. At least I can cross this place off._

Now came the door at the end of the hall. The door that led to his mother's bedroom. Steven sensed a cold tingle in his upper back, making him shiver as he approached the door. He turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door, his eyes closed so he wouldn't have to peek inside. He took a few steps forward, his eyes shut as the familiar, soft carpeting graced his bare feet.

"Steven?" Malachite's voice echoed from down the hall. "You don't have to be afraid. This is a safe space. Your mother can never find you here."

"...Uh... Thanks, I guess..."

Steven opened his eyes, a flood of bad memories entering his head as he stared at the inside of his mother's room. His palms trembled. His breathing sped up. He took another step forward, feeling a tightening in his chest.

_"**What's wrong with you, Steven!?** I just washed these, and you just HAD to go and soil them and-! You're such an... **IDIOT!**"_

His head recoiled from the memory of a slap.

"_You're helping me put these sheets in the washer **right now**, or else I'll make you go 'poof'!"_

Steven crossed his arms, a pounding in his head and a lump in his throat as he stepped towards his mother's pink mattress.

_"Stevie... I'm really sorry about how mad I was earlier today. I promise I won't get mad at you ever again, sweetheart... C'mere for mommy, will you?"_

His hands gripped his throat, struggling to breathe in deep as a feeling of black, hopeless despair washed over him.

_"That's it, sweetheart... Mommy wants to make it up to you for being mean. Mommy's gonna give you the best kiss and make-up in the galaxy..."_

**"N-! NOOOOOOOOOOOO-O-O-OOOOOOOOOO!"**

\--

"**Nnnn-! Noooo, noooooOOOOOOOOOOOO!**"

"Steven!? Steven, what's wrong!?"

"**NOOOOO! STOP IT, MOMMYYYYY!**"

"Steven, your mom's not here right now!"

Steven began to writhe and scream on the bathroom floor, dripping wet, a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Connie, please tell me you have some energy from Pink!"

"Yup! Daily reserve's full just for something like this!"

In seconds, Steven immediately felt a warm sedation coursing through him. He calmed down in body and mind, going limp, his mouth hanging open. He weakly lifted an arm towards one of the faces looming above him.

"Mom..."

His arm and head fell back before he began to snore loudly. Pearl and Connie looked at each other, varying degrees of shock and worry on their faces. Pearl sniffled as she wiped off some dried tears.

"Green, I... I swear, I swear to you and the other Diamonds that I didn't know this would happen. I'm very sorry!"

"You couldn't have done this," Connie answered as she began to dry Steven off. "I think it's his gem."

"...His gem? But... But I thought we solved his gem problem weeks ago!"

"So did I."


	23. Chapter 19: Living a Strange Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that every third chapter of this ten chapter part (part 3) will be a chapter dedicated to Ronaldo after the events of Int 2 pt 2. I hope you don't mind that this isn't another Steven chapter because I was struggling over where to go next! XO
> 
> And my apologies that this is more unashamedly raunchier than preceding chapters.

Heat. Intensity.

"Haaah, haaah, haaardeeerrr..."

Firm grip. Slower pace. Harder pumping.

"J- just like that!"

His heart raced. He was close. She was ready. One more thrust.

"I, I'm... Fffuck... Fucking... Uuugh..."

He nuzzled against her abdomen, climaxing inside her. Fluids jetted against his crotch, an indication that she reached orgasm along with him. After finishing, he loosened his grip on her legs and slid himself out, pulling his boxers back up and resting by her side. She was still recovering from a mind-blowing climax.

"Hah... Shit... Shhhit... God, that's good... I'm gonna miss you so much, Ronnie."

"Miss me? It's not like I'll die the second I find a girlfriend. Or gemfriend."

Ronaldo smooched Emerald on the cheek, the peck progressing into passionate kissing once she leaned in. After another solid minute of making out, the two were truly exasperated. Ronnie laid on top of Emerald, staring into her eye.

"Have you thought about... tying the knot? With _me_?"

"I can't get married, I'm not marriage material. Besides, we've only known each other for about three weeks..."

"C'mon. If Peedee can handle marriage at three weeks, then I can, too."

"Getting married isn't just for the weekend, sweetheart. But, if I can't find a partner for you within the week... I'll consider it," she said with a wink.

"I think you should do more than consider it," Ronnie spoke back, rolling back onto the bed.

"You know I will. Now, we really need to settle down. Tomorrow's gonna be a lot easier to get through with 8 hours of sleep."

"Right, the... ship thing."

"Not just the ship thing, nerd."

"What else was-? Oh yeah, yeah. Right."

\--

"How is everyone this fine morning? I can't believe so many of you are here, I can barely get myself anywhere at 9."

The small crowd laughed at Hessonite's joke. Ronnie and Emerald were in the front row of the auditorium, both displaying varying degrees of fatigue. Hessonite flipped her notebook open as she stood at the podium.

"Okay, so I'm here today to talk about a question I get asked a lot from the viewers of my show, which is, how do I talk to humans? It sounds like a really challenging question on its own, and it gets trickier depending on the context. What sort of humans do you want to talk to, and why? Are you a schoolteacher trying to tell a student as nice as you can that they'll have to repeat this school year? Are you a counselor trying to help someone put their life back together? Or do you just wanna make some new friends? I'm not gonna tackle those specific questions today. But, I can give you a few very basic rules to follow as a guide point."

Ronnie stretched and yawned in his spot. He never cared for speeches, but since this one was about humans for once, he decided to listen in. Then, Emerald gave him a nudge.

"Remember my novels?" she spoke in a low tone.

"Yeah."

"Sounds like she read a few of 'em before she started writing her speech"

Ronaldo suppressed a snicker as best as he could. He could see her point - Hess mentioned some _very specific_ scenarios that just so happened to be the subjects of Emerald's most popular erotica novels. His thoughts turned to the titular scene from _"My Teacher, My Seductress"_ as Hessonite's voice turned into background noise.

_"Thomas... I would feel so terrible if you had to repeat the seventh grade. You know the answers, you just have to work through the problems like I know you can."_

_"Miss, I... I don't know the answers because I... I don't understand the questions..."_

_"You didn't pay attention in class?"_

_"I couldn't. Miss, I..."_

_"Thomas, I understand that you have a learning disability. But-"_

_"I- it's not that,_ miss. I, uh... I think I... I love you, miss!"

"Ronnie? You happy to see me?" Emerald murmured, breaking him out of his trance and bringing the minor tent in his pants to his attention. Blushing, he fast-walked his way towards the restroom. Instead of 'men' and 'women', it was just 'set 1' and 'set 2' now. He entered set 1 and immediately sought to wash his hands, at least to do something to keep his mind off of the embarrassment he felt.

_Man, I just... I just popped a boner in public. In front of all those people, too... I hope no one noticed. That'd be the worst-_

The bathroom door opened. In walked a larger gem woman, her periwinkle blue locks matching her clothes and skin tone.

"Hello," she softly spoke. "I noticed you had a bit of a problem back there..."

Ronaldo turned beet red.

_Oh no_, he thought. _This gem's gonna chew me out._

"I was wondering if you had a girlfriend."

"...Huh? S- sort of," he stammered, twiddling his fingers. "It's the green gem I was with."

"Ooh, you're Emerald's new travel buddy?" she said back. "There must be something _really_ special about you if she picked you out."

She leaned against the sink, looking at him in the mirror.

"What's your name?"

"Ronaldo."

"How old are you, Ronaldo?"

"Fifteen."

"Oh. Guess I don't have to act. I'm gonna bet you've done this before."

"Wait, you wanna have sex in a place like this?" he said in a hush. "Public bathrooms are the _least_ hottest places ever."

"It'll just be a quick fuck. Five minutes tops. You don't even have to make me cum, I just wanna help you with your problem... Besides, I'll have someone new to think about when I'm by myself."

She dropped her tight-fitting jeans without hesitation, letting Ronnie do the work of rolling her cotton underwear down. He stared down at the pile of clothes before the gem snapped her fingers.

"What's the hold-up?"

"I forgot that gems wear human clothes sometimes," he remarked while he followed suit. "I didn't expect to see a gem wearing jeans when I went out today."

"Where have you been the past ten years?"

"Watching anime in my room."

"Figures."

He ignored her flippant remark and put it in. His erection came back in full swing. The blood pumped to his boy bits as he worked himself into a tight, controlled rhythm, his hands gripping the gem's backside. It didn't take very long at all before he felt a rising tension inside him. He didn't get very far inside her before his climax rocked him, making him release his pubescent love inside a gem he'd never even met before. The gem put a hand over her mouth and released a muffled moan as he pulled out, clear fluids seeping from her.

"Hah... Not bad for a fifteen year old, right?" Ronnie asked.

"Not bad at all," the gem talked back. "I can tell you're gonna go real far."

The restroom door opened again, this time to a short crimson gem. Ronaldo froze, his hands still on the other gem's rear, his crotch covered with juices. Instead of shock or anger, the red gem clicked her tongue and pointed at him, looking unfazed.

"_Niiice_. Want our address, kid? 'Cause I'd like some of that, too."

"Maybe if you asked Emerald," the other gem said, "she'd let you keep him."

"He's with Emerald? Holy _shit_, are you serious? Damn, _nice_, kid!"

Ronnie was halfheartedly using a rough paper towel to clean himself up when the crimson gem slipped him a card.

"I'm a little busy here," he said.

"Just a formality. It's our contact card. I'm Carnelian."

"Carnelian, Ronaldo, Ronaldo, Carnelian. And I'm Holly," the blue gem said. "She's one of my roommates."

"One of your roommates?" Ronnie asked. "How many other roommates do you have?"

"More than enough."

-

"Hmm... You."

"You."

Emerald and Hessonite scrunched up their faces and laughed as they sat at a table, the first break of the event underway.

"Hey, how's that letter of thanks coming along?"

"I said I should, not I would."

"Aww, and I was getting so excited, too."

"Shut up, you knew it wouldn't happen."

"A gem can dream, can't she?"

"Yeah, well... Sweet dreams are... made of... these. Ugh, I'm never doing another talk at 9 in the morning for at least another twenty years. I can't even think of a quip without it devolving into song lyrics."

Hess peeked over at Ronaldo, who was sitting at Emerald's side.

"Hey, Ronnie. Nice to see you here."

"Yeah, nice to see you, too. Where's Peedee?"

"I'm sorry, but Peedee decided to sleep in today. I could set up a live chat with you and him some time. I know you really miss him, and he tells me he misses you, too."

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's doing just fine."

"You sure? Anything going on with him, or...?"

"Nah. Unless you wanna hear about our sex life."

"Heheh, I sure don't."

"Speaking of sex life - how's that for a segue - I noticed a few gems following you into the bathroom."

"What?"

"Yeah. How'd it go?"

"How'd what go?" he asked, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Heheh. Don't try and hide it from me, Ronnie," she replied, seeing through his poker face. "They made that change for a reason. So tell me, who were the lucky gals?"

Ronnie felt deathly uncomfortable. This gem, who he would have considered family a week ago, was now very publicly and casually asking him about his sex life. He gulped.

"Uh... It was only one gem. Her name was Holly."

"Holly?"

Hess's eyes widened as she apparently realized something. Ronaldo stared back, confused.

"What? What's-?"

"Holly is Holly Blue Agate. She works for the Diamonds. And who was the other gem?"

"...The other gem was Carnelian."

"Of course it was."

"Is something wrong? You're acting like they murdered someone."

"Because Holly took her new job," Emerald interrupted.

"She did not," Hess spoke up. "The Diamonds chose her over me. And I don't know why! They were perfectly happy with my services under the old Authority."

"I dunno why you tried, because you _know_ they'll reinstate you once they get the military going again."

"Emerald? Don't make me say it out loud."

"Why not?"

"You know why, idiot."

"Because you'd lose your audience and platform the moment everyone finds out you hate a job that isn't based on ordering people around-"

"Shut up, asshole."

"No, you, dickhead."

"Make me, cunt."

"Prick."

"Twat."

"You."

"_You_."

"Yeah, we're done here, Ronnie."

Emerald took Ronaldo by the arm and dragged him away from the table and out of the room. Entering the front room, they approached the exit when, suddenly, a towering blue gem stepped in front of Emerald.

"Hello there!"

"Ah!... Hello," Emerald said, rolling her eyes after the unexpected interruption. "You must be Holly."

"Sure am. Say, I had a bit of fun in the bathroom with your friend earlier, and I was thinking. Can I hitch a ride with you?"

"You wanna ride with me? Yeah, that's not happening."

Emerald kept a firm grip on Ronaldo's arm as she trudged out the door, him and Carnelian close behind as they trekked across the parking lot.

"Please? I just wanna show your friend a thing or two!"

"He's already done a thing or two."

"I'm in good with the Diamonds-"

"I know exactly where you work and who you work with, which is more than enough to know that you haven't even _interacted_ with a Diamond, outside of that coward, Blue. Besides, I'm already 'in good' with them."

"Come on," Holly complained, sounding angrier the closer they got to Emerald's ship. "If you won't let me ride with you, at least invite me on board the Sun Incinerator the next time you-"

Emerald turned on her heel and glared back at Holly with a look that honestly frightened Ronaldo.

"Today. F-91. One p.m. Central Earth time. Be there or I'll have you fired within the week."

"...You can do that?" Holly asked, pacified.

"I've done it before," Emerald replied as she opened the door for Ronnie. "Now go. We have a bit of time before the next party, and Ronnie tires out easily. He needs his rest. Right, Ronnie?"

\--

"C'mon, c'mon..."

His breathing was shallow.

"You- you're hitting my-!"

He almost went faint. His climax was approaching.

"Oh, gooood!"

He made sure to gently prod and stroke her clit with his fingers. The couch's texture was grinding into his knees. Her face was one of pure ecstasy.

"Shi-! God, this fucking reproductive system!... Fucking... Uuuuugh..."

He collapsed on her as his climax hit him. He pumped inside a few more times before his exhaustion caught up with him. Groaning as his face slammed into Emerald's belly, Ronaldo wondered if this was really the best thing to have done a few minutes before leaving... Nah, nah. A few minutes of tender fucking never hurt anyone. Besides, it didn't take much to arouse him, being the fifteen year old that he was. Even if he couldn't have another wet climax for another hour or so, he could still satisfy a few gems on board the Sun Incinerator. Emerald stuffed a pillow into her face and moaned loudly into it.

"Mmm fmmkmm stmmpmd..."

"What was that, Emmy?"

"I said that I am fucking stupid," she replied as she laid the pillow on her chest. "I completely forgot that I have a clitoris."

"You... How do you _forget_ you have a clitoris?" Ronaldo asked with a laugh. "That'd be like me forgetting I have a foreskin!"

"Hey, I've only had this thing for a few hundred years out of the thousands I've been living. Excuse me if my memory... fucks me over sometimes."

"Pfft. You suck."

"Yeah, and I'm damn good at it. Just ask some of the boys once we get on the Sun. Speaking of which, you haven't been there yet, have you? I swear, I took you once."

"Nah, that was the Destiny Destroyer," he said as he pulled out, a sticky, warm mess coating his junk. "That was real fun, though. Fucking in the pilot's seat is something I could get used to."

"Watch your fucking language, Ronnie... Oh, look at the time! We should get to cleaning up."

Emerald got up and walked off to her room, a wobbling in her legs. Ronaldo smirked as he grabbed a tissue from the box on the table.

_Nice. I did that._

** _*BUZZZZZ*_ **

His phone almost vibrated off the table as he finished wiping himself off. He picked the phone up to see a text from an unknown number. He set his phone back down, knowing it was probably spam, and set the ringer to 'silent' before putting it in his pocket. He had much more important things to do, and every second spent unlocking his phone was a second less on board the Sun Incinerator.

\--

The port was surprisingly barren. Aside from him, Emerald, and the small crowd in front of him, there was practically no one there. It was in some remote system, outside of even the Diamonds' grasp, and it showed. The floor was slightly rusted. The docking mechanism was slightly worn. And the group with them was slightly pissed.

"Sorry we're late, everyone," Emerald announced as she pat him on the back. "We were just running fashionably late. But now, welcome aboard the Sun Incinerator! Everyone get in."

Ronnie and Emerald went in first, Ronnie obviously confused by the whole scene. He followed her to the interior, a circular, green room with four chairs - it was a lot tighter than he expected. Emerald sat in the center chair, and he took one of the three on the opposite side as gems and a few humans began to pour in. A redhead human who looked familiar. A green gem carrying a suitcase. A short, sparkling blue gem. And, of course, plenty of boys, gem and human alike. Most of them looked... young. Younger than even he was. Then, at last, entered Holly, who had brought Carnelian along.

"This is the Sun Incinerator I've heard so much about?" Carnelian asked. Emerald turned her head, looking furious.

"Holly, that invitation was for you, not for you and her!"

"You can't do much about it now, can you? How would Blue react if you left one of Amethyst's best friends to rot on-"

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would. And then you won't get an invite to Blue's wedding next week."

"...Fine, you win. But show up with her or anyone else next time, I'm canceling the trip from the moment I see you."

"That's okay, because this'll be my only time here," Holly said, eyeing Ronaldo. Her seductive expression was almost threatening as she walked up to him and sat on his lap, her muscular ass inches from cutting the blood flow to his crotch and legs. 

"Hey, there, baby."

"Uh, h- hi, Holly," Ronnie spoke, a tinge of teenage anxiety in his voice. "How have things been since this morning?"

"Look around. You know as much as I do that we're not here for small talk."

Keeping his mind off of what was directly in front of him, he did as she said - most of the gems and humans around them were in some state of nakedness. Whether they were fully nude and on the verge of passionate lovemaking, or simply disrobing just to feel less awkward, it was obvious what everyone in the room wanted.

Sex. Fucking. With boys. Young boys.

Ronaldo gulped as Holly stood back up, gradually recovering the feeling in his toes.

"Me and my friend want to go somewhere more... Private. Engine room's perfect for us. Nice and loud. No one's gonna hear us screaming from the nice, hard fucking a kid like you can give. That, and it looks like you hate watching other people fuck. Right?"

"Uh, I guess?"

Holly took him by the arm smiling as she dragged him to the back of the ship and down one of the staircases, the three heading into the engine compartment. The loud whine of the engines was enough to drown out the noise upstairs, while still being quiet enough for Ronaldo to hear himself think - not that he had time to. In seconds, he and his new gem friends stripped down, Holly getting on her knees to deliver a soft mouth kiss. Ronnie felt alarmed, almost dreadful. It was all happening so fast.

"Hello?" Carnelian impatiently asked. "I wanted a turn with him, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Holly talked back, swiftly breaking the kiss. "He's all yours now. Teach him how to kiss, will you?"

Holly sat on the floor as Carnelian began to feel Ronnie up. Her soft, chilly fingers grazed his skin. Ronaldo couldn't help but feel that something was... _off_. Something here was wrong. The back of his brain tingled as she rubbed herself against him.

"I've never been with a human before," she plainly stated. "Amethyst tells me I'm missing out... Yeah, that's right. _**The**_ Amethyst. We're gonna teach you how the gals at the I.S.R. fuck, kid."

-

He slid to the floor.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me Emerald fucked you right before... She did, didn't she."

His heart was pounding. The overexertion made it hard to take the breaths he needed.

"Goddamnit, Emerald. Why do you have to use the goods right before..."

He couldn't make out the rest. All he could do, all he had to do, was just breathe in deep. There wasn't going to be a climax this time, and he was okay with that.

"Yeah, Holly? The kid's not gonna cum."

"I told you you were going too fast, imbecile. You wore him out."

"It's not that. Emerald definitely fucked him before bringing him along."

"Sure, blame Emerald for your terrible sense of pacing."

"Why don't you try it, asshole?"

"Don't mind if I do. Watch and learn."

Ronaldo could barely even speak before Holly's large figure slammed into him. He felt the moist warmth of her insides with his flaccid teenaged prick, although he was too exhausted to feel excited, even from something so powerfully stimulating. His breathing shallow and labored, Holly didn't seem to care as she did all the work for him, pounding on his member hard enough to make him involuntarily pound back. Her breasts bounced slightly above his head, Ronnie sensing them touch the tips of his hair. Her fluids coated his slowly hardening penis, making the ride easier, at least for her. She began to moan like she would have back in the tan restroom that morning.

"Fffuck, I told you, Carnelian! It's all about pacing! The kid's as hard as a gemstone now!"

A mix of exertion and pleasure coursing through him, Ronaldo had no choice but to go along. Her legs were locked with his as she slammed against him in a mating press. Her sweat began to drip down onto him. The stinking, raw musk of sex began to override every other stench entering Ronaldo's nostrils. A desperate heat began bubbling up inside him, as much as he didn't want to admit it.

"Getting close, kid?" he heard her ask as she thrust herself against him, crossing her arms above her head. "I sure am. You're a fucking _excellent_ workout."

"Th- thanks?"

That was all he could get out before he sensed something tickle at his boyish prick. It was rough. Moist. Exhilirating. He whined as he slowly pumped a few times, making sure to keep with Holly's rhythm.

"C- Carnelian," Holly panted out. "I thought I told you to... Ngh, to stop doing that!"

He realized what it was once she said it. That was all he could take. He closed his eyes, his heat peaking inside before he released it. Holly groaned as she gave one more push.

"God damn it. You made him cum too early."

Carnelian didn't respond. Ronaldo felt an uncomfortable lapping at his privates. Holly pushed herself off of the floor, crouching over him, looking disappointed.

"Damn it. I'm sorry, kid. Let's try it again tonight."

With a **_pop_** signaling the pullout, Holly stood on her feet, fluids oozing from her. Ronaldo looked down to see Carnelian slobbering all over his bits, looking content. He laid his head back as he let it happen, the ship's engines quieting. 

-

"Alright, fine. He's all yours."

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Ronnie," Emerald murmured, "but they've got me by my non-existent balls."

"But I... I still have my stuff over at your place."

"I'll bring it all over later tonight. I promise."

"Oh... Alright..."

"Look, don't worry about it. You'll be fine. Something like this was gonna happen anyways."

"But I wanted to stay with you."

He felt Holly's hand grip his shoulder.

"You heard the gem. You're coming with us, stud."

Ronnie began to sweat as a nerve-wracking anxiety flared up. He followed the two gems along to their ship as Ronnie looked back at Emerald; she gave him a reassuring smile and wave before seeing to the other guests from that day's cruise. He entered the back seat once Holly took her hand from him. Carnelian sat beside him, staring at him longingly. Then, the green gem with the suitcase entered from the other side.

"Coming with us, Peri?" Holly asked as she took the driver's seat.

"Yup," she responded.

"How was the catch this time?"

"Pretty good, pretty good. I wish Steven was there, but he was... You know."

"Yeah, here's hoping he gets better soon."

"I picked up a few tricks from Hess. Did you see that underhand whip crack?"

"Nah, I was too busy with the _stud_ you're sitting next to."

"Ooh, a stud!?" Peri repeated, looking excited as she began to reach for his clothes. Ronaldo backed off, freaked out.

"H- Hey, what gives!?"

"If frickin' _Holly_ says you're a stud, I gotta see for myself! Don't worry, the Crystal Ge- Crystal _Guard_ is gonna hear all about you."

"Yup," Holly chimed in. "And since we're a ways away from Homeworld..."

She tapped a few buttons at the control panel.

"And this ship's got autopilot..."

She climbed in back with Ronnie and the others.

"We've got plenty of time for some more fun. Isn't that right, gems?"

"Absolutely," Carnelian said as she rolled down Ronnie's pants, the ship's window tint darkening as they flew away from Port F-91 and out into space.


	24. Chapter 20: Innocents and Innocence

Steven got out of the car, cautiously approaching the Edge of the Stars. A long, sloped metal platform, marking the extent of the Gem Lords' expansion. And at the end of it was _her_. Sitting at the edge. Her legs dangling. Spinel.

"Uh-..."

Steven took a step forward, a heavy sense of shame overtaking him.

"Spinel? Do you hate me?"

"No. Can you come and sit with me? I just wanted to talk."

With every step he took towards her, the gemling's thoughts became more guilty and fearful. 

_She probably hates me She definitely hates me I'm gonna go to prison I'mgonnadie mydad'sgonnakillme **ihurtagemlingiletmyfriendshurtagemlingi'mamonsterideservetodie**_

"Malachite? I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? About what? No, _I_ should be sorry. I... I let Amber and the others do those things to that gemling. I should have stopped them when-"

Spinel took Steven's hand.

"_Mallie_. Stop beating yourself up."

"I can't..."

"Look, I called you here because I wanted to pre-emptively apologize. This is gonna hurt you real bad, and I'm sorry... I contacted the lords. Your dad, specifically. And I told him everything."

Steven stared back at the gem in shock.

"You told my-? My dad's gonna kill me, Spinel."

"No, he won't. We had a chat, and he told me he's gonna get you the help you need."

Her gentle, reassuring touch somewhat quelled Steven's anxiety.

"Mallie... You need help. Your attraction to gemlings, it's not normal. I'm your friend. I wanna help you. And that starts with your other friends getting what they deserve."

"What happened to them?"

"They, uh... They got arrested a few hours ago."

Steven's stared back at Spinel, his face blank. He could feel everything Malachite could - shock, confusion, betrayal. Eventually, a word crept from his mouth.

"Arrested?"

"_Yes_. What did you expect? They stole a Gem of Power, Mallie."

"But so did we!"

"We put it right back. No one noticed a thing. And we didn't even have a chance to use it because you weren't compatible! But your 'friends' have been using it for weeks, and they're using it for... You know what they're using it for. Makes me sick."

"Where are they?" Steven asked. "Where are my friends?"

"They're in the dungeon. They're gonna face the lords for everything they've done. Then your dad and I are gonna help you get past everything that's happened. And we're gonna save our planet."

Steven would have asked something else, something he wasn't even consciously thinking about, when he heard footsteps clanging against the metal behind them. Then, a powerful electric current flowed through his body, disabling him, but not knocking him unconscious, as he fell on his back. Several heavily armed gems took him by the arms and began to drag him away. Spinel looked shocked as she turned around, getting on her feet.

"I told you not to follow me!"

The gem in charge said nothing, pulling out a wand and waving it around Steven. The metallic whirring hummed across his helpless body until it came to one of his pockets, an alarming beeping coming from the machine. The armored gem reached inside, then pulled out a blue gemstone. Spinel's hands fell to her sides as tears began to well.

"You... Malachite, why? Did Amber make you...?"

"Lord Malachite will be most displeased," the head gem said. "To have your own daughter plan to betray your rule... I would be heartbroken."

\--

"Hmm, hmm hmm hmm... Hmm hmm..."

She softly hummed in his ear. Her hands grazed his thick curls. Her warm, minty breath beat down on the side of his face. Steven couldn't immediately recognize where he was. He could barely see. The room was dark. He sensed his body under some sort of sheet. Then, he held his hands out.

"Eee!... Big brother, it's not our special fun night!"

"Jasper?"

He jolted his hands back to his sides, realizing he'd touched her breasts. If the lights were on, she would have seen a heavy blush on his face.

"I- I'm s- sorry! I-"

"It's okay, big brother," Jasper whispered as she gave Steven a big hug. "Mama told me about your blank-out problem. I have blank-out problems, too! I don't always remember what they are, but sometimes I remember one of you, big brother. It's a real fuzzy picture of you and me having some special fun together. But there's this weird white lady in the background..."

Jasper's voice faded into static as an anxious heat flared up inside Steven. He was living through it again. The ship. White bound and floating in zero gravity. Jasper's evil smile as she disrobed. Then she pinned him and **_imbeingdrilledbyafuckingtenyear_**

"old."

"...Eh?"

"Heehee, I said, it's funny that I remember things from when I was two years old."

"How old are you again?"

"Seven!" she happily said, holding up seven fingers.

"Uh... Okay," Steven said back, completely out of it. Jasper hugged him again.

"I think mama let me nap with you for a reason. Let's go back to bed, big brother."

Jasper turned over, facing away from Steven as she closed her eyes again. Steven turned along with her, but he couldn't close his eyes.

Jasper's **_pleasedontmakemedothis_** she's not my **_idontwannafuckimscared_**

His thoughts rushed through his head as he placed himself back on the ship again. His finger and toes were curled. He felt warm and nauseous. He tried his hardest to keep from crying as he vividly remembered every detail from that short time. Jasper's surprisingly soft touch. Her breath against the top of his hair. The coldness of the metal surface she pinned him to. The **_dontwanna pleaseno iwannagotobedforeve_**

_ ***creeeaaak*** _

"Hi, sweeties," Amethyst softly spoke.

"Amy?" Jasper asked back, sitting upright. "Where's mama?"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but your mama had to leave. She went out to fight some bad guys."

"Is she fighting the people who did that thing on Thursday?"

"Yup," Amethyst continued as she sat beside Steven. "They found out where a bunch of people were training to be bad, so she just had to go and get them herself. Yellow and Pink went along with her just to keep her safe, but you know your mama. She can keep herself safe."

"Is she gonna make them not bad anymore?"

"Of course. That's what Diamonds do, Jazzie. Now..."

Amethyst's hand ran through Steven's hair. The covers were lifted up. Steven closed his eyes and felt Amethyst's clothes rub against him. She had joined them.

"Jazzie? Can you turn around, pleasies?"

"Okay, Amy," Jasper whispered, turning away from the two and shuffling back into a sleeping position. Steven knew exactly what Amethyst wanted. The same thing she's wanted since he was little.

"Stevie? Let's play a little game of touchies. Oh, Stevie, don't tell me you don't wanna play..."

She began to unbutton his nighttime shirt. He didn't bother resisting, having accepted the inevitable once she walked in.

"Shh, shh, don't cry, Stevie," she said in a low tone, smiling at him. "You always love it once we start."

** _*ziiip*_ **

"Now, let's roll these down, and... Wow, you've gotten so big since last week, Stevie. No wonder Lapis said you filled your quota after just one game. Let's take a look, and maybe you can show me what she meant... Shh, shh... I promise that I won't be long... But it's gotta be our little secret, okay? We don't want Jazzie's mama finding out we're playing while Jazzie's sleeping..."

Steven couldn't feel anything. He couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Couldn't sense. His vision became distorted, blurry. His emotions were a void once more. He was staring at Jazzie, fast asleep. She looked nice. Cute, even. He held out a hand to see it phase right through her. Not that it mattered. He wouldn't tell Connie, anyways. He thought he'd just stand here, rubbing Jazzie's side for a bit while she slept. Nothing else was happening. Nothing at all.

\--

She strapped herself in. The ship took off. She sat dead still in her seat, her eyes closed, her hands at her knees.

"How did it feel?"

She was clearing her mind. Finding her special place. But she couldn't block out _her_ voice.

"Oh? Was it too much for you? Shame. I thought you had learned something from your mother."

Her fingers gripped her knees. She was trying her best to stay calm.

_One... Two... Three..._

"Don't worry. Everyone will think all those terrorists deserved it. They won't even question the fact that some of their familes had to die. And they don't have to know about what happened to the children. They would call it something much worse than death, but... I think Pink called it a mass, involuntary community service-"

No more.

"Shut... up..."

"And what did you learn? Other than the fact that you're a killer now, Green. You're a Diamond now."

She slammed her fists against the sides of her seat.

"**SHUT UP.**"

"**What did you learn, Green!? I'll tell you!** You've known for months, but you've seen it now! You've done it now! **Ours is a power that murders _innocents_ and _innocence_!**"

"I SAID _**SHUT UP!**_"

A pulse erupted from her closed fist, silencing Yellow. The force slammed Yellow into the wall of the ship. The craft made a violent shift towards the right, but Green was unfazed as she stared dead-on into Yellow's eyes.

"And I never want to hear another word about my mom."

Green seethed through clenched teeth as the ship corrected itself. She closed her eyes and opened her fists.

_Four... Five... Six..._

"Green... If you do this again..."

_Seven... Eight... Nine..._

"I'll take that gem away from you."

"..._What?_"

"And I'll use Quartz's powers to-"

"You're talking about Steven."

"Don't interrupt me! I'll use him to turn you back into the pitiful human child you once were! You'll be an example that there will be no lack of discipline, even from the highest ranks of our authority!"

An unfiltered, destructive anger unlocked inside her. The color of lime green spread across and overtook her normal, dark skin.

"You wouldn't."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because I'll kill you."

"Don't make me laugh, Maheswaran."

Silence.

_ ***WHAM*** _

Green suddenly lunged forward, a powerful, bright aura surrounding her. She burst out of the ship her force slamming into Yellow with tremendous speed and force. The power of an all-consuming hatred radiated from her fists as they were pushed into Yellow's abdomen, speeding out into the abyss of space, threatening to tear through Yellow's very being. Yellow felt something she hadn't in millenia. Fear. The fear of losing her life. The paralyzing, eyes-wide-open, breathtaking sort of fear.

**"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**

Green's head slammed into her torso, stunning Yellow long enough for Green to wrap herself around Yellow's upper body.

**"I'M NEVER GOING BACK TO BEING CONNIE!"**

Yellow's hands desperately grasped Green's wrists in an attempt to keep them away from her gem. But Yellow could feel it. An energy much more powerful than hers bubbling underneath the surface of Green's skin. And that energy was fueling Green as the tips of her fingers morphed into crystalline talons. Yellow was trying every tactic she could think of for subduing a human - she swiped at Green's eyes, tugged at her hair, whacked her in the nose and mouth. But it was all in vain; the spiny digits pricked at her forehead, poised to dig around her gem.

"I'm gonna teach you," Green growled as Yellow's punches and scratches became more defensive and frantic. "I'm gonna fucking teach you!"

One of Green's talon-fingers dug between Yellow's head and the gemstone she protected. It inched down into her until it went past the base of her gem. Yellow screamed, frightened as the weight of the situation slammed into her.

**"NO! PLEASE! STOOOOP!"**

**"DON'T YOU FUCKING TALK TO ME! SHUT UP!"**

Another talon slid into her head and gripped her gem. Yellow's vision began to blur and fade to black. Her other senses began to go haywire, her extremities seizing, a metallic taste in her mouth. Then came a third talon. A firm, constricting grip on her gem. And then, the intense, painful ripping of _**something**_ from her head. She sensed a gaping, empty hole where _**it**_ once was. Then, nothing. Nothing as she floated away from the overjoyed Green. Yellow Diamond was dying now. Dying out in cold, heartless space. Killed by a human she made the mistake of forging a gemstone for.

Brightness.

Pink brightness.

Something being forcefully pushed into her head.

Her vision came back, good as new.

"P- Pink?"

In front of her was Pink Diamond, looking distressed. Green was wrapped around her back, snoring.

"You're lucky I decided to fly you back," Pink spoke. "Otherwise, you would've ended up just like Jasper... Now, c'mon. We've got a family to see."

\--

"They should be coming back any second. Are you excited, Steven?"

Amethyst grabbed his sides, on her knees behind him as they stood in front of the elevator. The elevator light lit up. The Crystal Gems gathered around. Floor one. The excitement was all around him. Floor two. But he couldn't possibly find any excitement from this. Floor three. _Please don't let them take me,_ he prayed to someone, anyone who could possibly help him. Floor four. The door opened to Yellow, Pink, and Connie. 

"Quartz," Yellow spoke sternly. "You're coming with us."

The Crystal Gems looked confused. Steven took a wobbly step forward.

"W- why-"

"**Now**, Quartz."

He fast-walked towards the elevator, standing at his silent mother's side. Yellow punched the button to the top floor. The elevator door closed, and they were off. Everyone was dead silent. Him, his mother, Yellow, and Connie. He didn't dare speak, lest he receive some form of reprimand. He began to sweat as he dwelled on what they had in store for him. More screaming. More hurt. More games.

***ding***

Yellow gripped Steven's arm with one hand, Connie's with another as she dragged them out into the throne room. Blue was lounging in Steven's throne, caught off guard by the scene in front of her. She sat at attention.

"Y- Yellow! How did-"

"Maheswaran will **not** be a Diamond anymore!"

"What? What happen-"

"This **stinking** little _**primitive**_ tried to kill me, and she almost managed it!"

"I'm not a primitive if I used the Diamond powers you gave me-" Connie muttered before being cut off.

"SILENCE!" Yellow screamed back. "Once Steven's through with you, I will personally strike your name from **every** record in the galaxy! There was _never_ a Connie Maheswaran or a Green Diamond, and everyone will accept it starting today!"

Steven softly whimpered, sweat dripping down his forehead. Yellow yanked him in front of Connie, staring at him with intent.

"Now... Quartz. The reason you lead the Authority is because you have a power to... change things."

He didn't say anything back. Yellow bent over, her threatening presence coming face to face with the young boy.

"Her gem allowed her to manipulate matter. She called it _Transmutation_. She could change positive into negative. She could turn an ordinary garnet or pearl into a diamond without the need to forge."

She forced Connie's shirt up, revealing her gemstone, before making Steven lay his hands on it.

"She could even remove a gem without killing its owner," Yellow continued. "Of course, then those gems would lose their minds and fuse together, hoping they would regain their gemstone that way, more and more fusing into one gigantic mess... Like a big _cluster_ of gemless gems."

"N- no," Steven whispered back. "I don't wanna-"

"**Nobody cares what you _want_, Quartz!** Your wants are **nothing**! All you have are responsibilities and duties! And right now, your duty is to punish Maheswaran's insubordination!"

His eyes darted between each of the faces in front of him. Connie and her stone-cold stoicism. Yellow and her growing rage. Pink and her shock. Then, he looked back at his hands grasping her gem. Nothing was happening. Yellow scowled at him.

"What's wrong, Quartz!? I thought you were White Diamond? Go on! Transmute already!"

"He doesn't know what you're talking about!" Blue interjected, breaking Yellow's grip on Steven and pulling him away from them. "Just because he has White's gem, that doesn't mean he can do everything she could on command!"

"What do you mean, he doesn't know what to do!? He just needs a little hands-on _reminder_, don't you, Quartz!?"

She lunged at Steven only to be held back by Pink.

"Enough of this, Yellow! Let it go!"

"...You stupid bitch!" Yellow cried out, breaking Pink's grasp. "None of you are real Diamonds! Real Diamonds would have wiped out this savage, _mud-hut-dwelling, knuckle-dragging, **primitive**_ species before they could even develop the brains to comprehend our glory! None of you deserve the honor of being in the same solar system with a Diamond! If I could, I'd rip the gems from each of you and take them all for myself!"

"That sounds dangerously rebellious, Yellow," Pink dryly quipped.

"Ff**fuck you!**"

"You almost sounded like Rose Quartz for a second, there. And you know what we do with Rose Quartzes? **Guards!**"

Yellow lunged at Pink, Pink putting up a sturdy bubble to defend herself against Yellow's almost overwhelming flurry of blows. Blue whisked Steven off to his room, cradling him in her arms. The Crystal Gems soon arrived on the scene, swiftly breaking up the one-sided fight and restraining Yellow, covering her gem with a crystalline clamp. Fighting back with the last of her physical energy, Yellow fought every step they took towards the elevator.

"You insolent savage-lovers! How dare you try and arrest me!? I'll see all of you shattered and your gem-dust flown into Sol's sun-"

The elevator door shut, muting Yellow's screams and slurs as they went down. Pink sighed, sitting upright, facing Connie.

"Green?... I..."

"I'm going to meditate," Connie said, monotonous. "Make sure no one interrupts me."

\--

_"...and although Green Diamond was hesitant to share the initial results of the I.S.R. raid on the last of Identity Terra Nova's compounds this afternoon, she held a phone interview with our affilate Homeworld Today hours later, stating that all ninety-eight terrorists on the compound have been confirmed dead. We'll keep you updated as the story continues, but tonight-"_

"Sweetheart," Blue cooed in his ear as she gradually slid the remote away from him. "You shouldn't watch this. It'll make you sad all the time."

Steven looked blank. Apathetic. His eyes were glued to the TV screen that lit up his dark room. _'Breaking news: Green Diamond confirms ISR raid a success / Official death toll sits at 98 with no Authority casualties'_.

"They're all dead."

"Yes. Yes, they are, Steven."

"They're all dead... They're all dead, Blue..."

"Steven, they hurt a lot of people. They were behind Shattered Thursday."

"But we didn't have to kill them," his voice breaking up. "We could've just... sent 'em to jail or... made them do a million hours of community service, or... I don't know..."

Blue held Steven close as his tears began to stain her ice-blue nightgown.

"Steven... All the time and work in the galaxy can't change who someone is. Those people the I.S.R. killed, that was who they were. And they wouldn't have stopped being the people who did Shattered Thursday, no matter how much time in prison they've done, or how many pieces of litter they picked off of the ground."

"I know, but... I wish mom was there, she'd put them all to sleep and-"

"Your mother _was_ there, my love. She was the one who flew Green and the others."

"Then why didn't she use her powers?"

The door to his room quickly opened and closed.

"Steven?" his mother said as she joined the pair in bed. "I'm sorry you had to see, well, everything that happened this afternoon. I'm sorry that-"

"It's fine, Pink," Blue responded with a smile. "Steven and I were just talking about the thing that's happening in the news."

"Oh... I'm so sorry, Steven," Pink hushed as she ran her hands down his sides. "I wanted to see how everyone would perform in a real life situation. I didn't know they switched their laser guns from 'stun' to 'kill' until it was too late. For what it's worth, I'm sorry, honey. Now, we really should change the subject to something less sad... Do you know why I'm here, Stevie?"

A nervous chill went up his spine, and not just because he knew the ISR didn't use laser guns. He didn't feel like speaking anymore. Now he was fixated on what his mother would do with him while he blankly stared off at Blue.

_Mommy... I don't wanna play tonight... I can't... Amethyst already touched-_

His mother wrapped his arms around him and gave him a big hug - not like that would ease his mind.

"Stevie, I'm here because Blue has something to say to you."

His feet shook and his throat tightened as he refocused back on Blue; she looked excited.

"I wanted to do this tonight anyways, but now I get to end your day on a positive note, so... Steven..."

Her hand reached into her pocket. She pulled out a small black case.

"I... I love..."

She opened the case, revealing a ring that looked too big for his short, pudgy fingers.

"I- I want you to... Will you marry me?" she spoke in a tone that was weepy, yet joyful. Steven was stunned cold.

_M- m- m- marry- Marry you?_

Blue's joyous expression faded away with every second Steven took to respond.

"Wh- what's that look?... You don't like it, do you?"

"N- no, no," Steven said, looking into her eyes. "I really like it, Blue! I love it! I swear-!"

"Steven, if you don't want to marry me, then that's... That's fine..."

She closed the case, putting it back in her pocket. Steven felt horrendously guilty as she turned away from her.

"I'm sorry, Steven," she murmured. "I guess I'll have to wait another five thousand years..."

"No," Steven cried out as he reached inside Blue's pocket, pulling the case back out. "You don't have to! I- I wanna marry you. I wanna marry you, Blue... I'm gonna marry you."

She turned around, her look of despair turning to surprised shock, then renewed happiness.

"Steven!"

She kissed him straight on the lips. He tasted her icy, sour spit; he sensed the grooves in her teeth once he gave her some tongue. Her giggle had nowhere to go but into his mouth, the vibrations bouncing around inside. He pulled back and coughed; Blue didn't mind.

"Steven, I'm so proud of you! I've been waiting five years for this!"

She locked him in yet another kiss, this one much more sensual. She gripped him by the shoulders. Their tongues danced together. Steven closed his eyes, Blue grabbing the back of his head in a way that reminded him of his training all those weeks ago. Then, his mother began tenderly rubbing his back. He heard something being shuffled off, then tossed to the floor. He knew what was coming. He knew this would happen the second she entered. His mother never entered his room for any other reason; Blue knew it as much as him, and broke the kiss just to shoot her a look.

"_Pink_."

"I just wanted to celebrate your announcement," Pink innocently stated. "It's a common human tradition. Why don't we just... _take these off?_ He'll get into it once we start."

She scoffed and playfully smiled at Steven.

"She'll make any excuse to get into your pants, won't she?"

He nodded and played along just so she wouldn't say anything else. Everything went quiet, other than the sneaking of hands under the sheets. His pants being rolled down to his ankles. Fingers and hands prodding at his undies. He breathed out. Here goes.


	25. Chapter 21: Forgotten Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steven and White relive heavy physical and sexual trauma in this chapter. Please skip or click away if you don't want to read about that.

Her glassy stare gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Reality gradually colored in her muted senses, along with the harsh tingling of pain, as a funny, stinging feeling radiated from her mouth. A red, biological fluid was seeping from a small wound on her lip. She wiped at it with her fingers; it only served to worsen the sting and start the bleeding back up agai-... Bleeding. _Blood_. Something's wrong. She didn't even have a circulatory system, let alone... The force of her emotions crept up on her like the rising tide of a beach. Shame. Fear. Despair.

_What's going on?_ she thought, trying to distract herself. _Am I dead? I don't feel dead... And I don't feel like this is the afterlife, either. What the hell's happening to me?_

The door creaked open. A heavy thumping in her chest made her freeze. She didn't turn to face the other person; she didn't even turn her head. She just stared back into the mirror, her pupils dilated, too scared to utter a peep.

"I'm sorry," the other one tearfully repeated. "I'm _so sorry_. I honestly didn't mean to hurt you."

A sense of revulsion taking over her, she split away from herself, one in front of the mirror and silent, the other huddled in the corner of the bathroom, crying. Both halves, and yet both one.

"**G- get the hell away from me!**" she screamed, breaking her silence on the cold tile floor. "**Get away from me, Amber!**"

The other person grabbed a container of cotton balls from the cabinet and ran the tap on warm water. She soon felt a soaked, warm cotton ball pressed against the cut on her lip.

"I should give your mouth a look," the other one said, regret in their voice. She felt her mouth opening wide; she could tell the other one was looking at her teeth. She simply cowered in the corner on the bathroom floor, scared and angry, while her other set of lips was toyed with. The other person looked nervous, the tracings of dried tears visible on their cheeks.

"Everything's looking okay so fa-"

She rubbed her tongue against one of her teeth in the wrong way. Then, she felt something come off inside of her mouth. She felt terrified as a tooth loosened and broke off, making her spit it out. The other person gave her another wet cotton ball, which she quickly stuffed into the hole the tooth left.

"I'm so sorry," the other one said. "I'll have to put you in to see the dentist about that molar. I can't believe myself, I never, _ever_ wanted to hit you, sweetheart..."

"...You hit me?" she asked back from the bathroom floor. Her second self remained motionless and at attention.

"It's ok," she replied, a young boy's voice coming out. "That tooth was getting wobbly, anyways."

The other person looked at her in the mirror, sighing. They ran a hand down her face, revealing a dark-purple mark under one of her eyes.

"Now, I know how much you don't like missing school, Steven," the other one hushed, "but you _have_ to stay home until that heals. I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have. I know how hard losing a mom can be to a child... If I send you to school the way you are right now, then... I'll have to be... I don't know. But you won't be seeing me for a long time. And I know how much you love your mom."

Malachite felt something inside her drop.

"_What?_" she asked in tearful disbelief.

"Can we still have Connie over tomorrow?" her second self quietly spoke back. The other person rubbed her back and gave her another kiss.

"We'll see, sweetheart. She's been doing a good job of keeping all our other secrets, but... I don't know if she could forgive me for this."

"I love you, mom," she said, trying to make the other one feel better.

"I know," the other one said. "And I love you. I love you more than anything in the universe. I promise, I'm never, _ever_ going to hurt you the way I did today. Never, ever."

Malachite nodded as the other person gave her a big hug, picking her up and holding her close.

"Mom?" she asked. "Does this mean we don't have to play tonight?"

"Oh, Stevie... It's almost our motto at this point. We have to play-"

"Every day and every night," she said along with them.

"Yes. And I promise, sweetie, I promise I'll never get as mad as I did ever again. I promise... Now, I think we've done what we can. I'll make a dentist appointment straight away. You can fix yourself a snack and relax. And then, we're going right back to our lessons. Okay?"

She silently nodded as the other one carried her first self off. Her other self was still on the bathroom floor, shaking and nauseous.

"What... What do you want him to do? **What do you want him to do!? He's just a boy!**"

Her first self silently sat at the couch, nibbling into a banana, making sure not to chew on the side that felt funny.

_I'm sorry, mom. I know you didn't wanna hurt me. I shouldn't have pushed you away like that. I shouldn't have tried to run away from you. I just wanted some more time before we started playing today..._

"Mom?" her first self said aloud, a warm, anxious sadness gripping her. "I'm sorry for being naughty. Can we try playing again? I won't be naughty. I promise."

"Sure, sweetheart," she heard. "Just finish your snack."

"Okay..."

Her second self heard everything, saw everything, felt everything. She flew into a fury, screaming at no one, at nothing, her words ringing hollow in a void of Steven's subconscious.

**"HE'S A BOY! HE'S YOUR _SON_! HE'S NOT YOUR HUSBAND! HE'S NOT YOUR DATE! HE'S NOT YOUR STRESS BALL! HE'S YOUR _SON_!"**

She fell to her knees, tearing up again, her normally proper and sweet voice devolving into a scratchy growl from the raw anger overtaking her.

**"YOU SHOULD BE HIS MOTHER, AMBER! YOU SHOULD BE TEACHING HIM '_TWO PLUS TWO IS FOUR_', NOT '_FUCK ME UNTIL I CAN'T WALK!_' YOU SHOULD BE NURTURING HIM, NOT _BEATING_ HIM!"**

The rush of an intense rage wearing out along with her voice, she hung her head, her hands on the ground. She sensed her other half being informed that the dentist would be seeing her next week, then taking the other one's hand down into that place. Her righteous anger slowed into a hushed sob as her vision started to fade to black.

"He should be Steven Quartz Universe... Not Steven Quartz, not White Diamond... He should have friends, not wives... And I should be a forgotten memory, not the... thing in his gemstone..."

\--

Steven slowly came to his senses. Feeling pins and needles creeping down his arms, he flailed them around, drawing Blue's attention.

"Steven? Are you back with us? Or is your condition making you do that?"

His arms fell to his sides.

"Uhh... I guess..."

Steven was still in a heavy daze, a mix of blocked memories and suppressed feelings making him want to go to sleep for another five thousand years... Another?... Yes, another. Five thousand more years of sleep. He'd probably been asleep for five thousand years already, and-

"I'm getting so concerned on your behalf, my love," Blue tenderly spoke, interrupting his train of thought. "I know your mother told me to expect some days to be worse than others, but... That was the longest one today. And it isn't even the afternoon yet."

"Afternoon?... Uh..."

"Where's the checklist... Can you tell me what day it is, my love?"

"Uhhh... Five thousand years after the... big thing on Thursday..."

Blue released a dreary sigh before looking back at a small clipboard.

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"I'm still in my room."

"And where's your room, Steven?"

"The Diamond Palace on Homeworld."

"Okay, that's good... How old are you?"

"Five thousand and ten?"

"Steven, you weren't asleep for five thousand years. You were asleep for about nine hours. And you've been blanked out for about forty minutes of the three hours you've been up."

"...Okay..."

"I know, it's hard to understand. Don't worry. I'll be right by your side, my Diamond."

He felt an icy kiss on his forehead, making his senses begin to pick up other things. His arm set against Blue's bare abdomen. The white noise of the radio. The taste of metal - the taste of blood - in his mouth. A distant pain under one of his eyes. The faint smell of his own freezing sweat. He laid against the pillow on his bed, the fog on him dispelling somewhat. He could see that he and Blue were still barren from the previous night's activities. The room was barely lit by a bedside lamp. 

"Hey, Blue?" he asked once he came to. "What's everyone else up to?"

"Oh, I'm glad you asked! Yellow's still detained on floor three, Green's on floor three with someone else, your mother went down to the radio station for an interview, and the rest of the Guard is out on their own business. Do you know what that means? It means we have the next couple of hours all to ourselves, my love!"

She dreamily stared into his eyes, a tinge of uneasiness in the back of Steven's mind as she held him, delivering a long kiss on the lips. She giggled like a schoolgirl once she pulled away.

"You'll have to excuse me, my love! I just can't contain myself. Our marriage is only a few days away, and yet, I can't wait another hour! You and I will be-"

"Why do you love me so much?"

The question rolled off of Steven's tongue, interrupting Blue's monologue. He didn't consciously think about saying it; the words just fell together from his mouth. His face turned deep red as Blue stared back at him.

"I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-! I hope I didn't hurt your feelings!"

"You're alright, Steven, that's a perfectly valid question. I ask it myself all the time."

She snuggled up with him, keeping him uncomfortably close to her bare bosoms as she held him.

"First and foremost, I love you because of who you are. As a human and a gem. You're well-behaved, you're very smart, you're resourceful, humble, peaceful. You always try your best to make everyone happy, even if it means you have to work hard, and even if you don't succeed. Second... You're just so beautiful. Your hair, your face, even your admittedly simple fashion sense... Although I will say pink suits Pink better, but you're a close second."

She sighed, a frown settling on her face.

"What's wrong?" Steven anxiously asked.

"The third reason I like you is... You remind me of the first and only other gem I've mated with. It was a long, long time ago."

"What was his name?"

"His name was Ametrine."

Steven tried his best to hide his shock. _Ametrine_. The chubby, purple gemling from his visions.

"...You like me because I remind you of Ametrine?"

"Yes. I have to explain a few things first. This was before the first Authority was established. Five thousand years ago, Homeworld gems lived under a system of regional lords. And instead of reproducing sexually, gems were made through the Kindergarten process. Draining the life-force of our planet to create new life in us. It was because of that, that our planet was headed for destruction. Then I used one of the diamonds to... change. I can't remember exactly how it happened, and I hope you'll forgive me for that, but simply put, Ametrine and I were the first in gem history to reproduce sexually."

"So you and Ametrine... You two had kids?"

"Yes. Well... Ametrine..."

Blue lowered her head, looking solemn.

"Ametrine never got to see our children."

"What happened?"

"The lords found out about me and him, and they took me, him, and the other three diamo-... Well, we weren't diamonds yet... They took me, your mother, and the ones you know as Yellow and the old White. They... They, uh..."

She gave Steven a big, warm hug.

"They killed him. I didn't even get to hear his last words."

"That's absolutely awful," Steven said back, patting Blue on the back in an attempt to comfort her. "I'm really sorry to hear that. I wish I could have-"

"No need to mourn, my love. I've mourned him for five thousand years. I think that enough time has passed. It's time for me to start anew. With you, my love."

"Still... That's really sad. I wish I could've met him," he said, not telling her a word about his visions. She smiled back.

"You really are the best, Steven," she said with a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, you said you and Ametrine had kids?"

"Ah, yes. He only gave me one. A girl. She's still alive right now. I'm so proud of her. I think you know her, Steven. I think you know her very well... I think her name was.. _Amy-fist_?"

A delightfully naughty grin beamed from her face. Steven looked like his mind had been blown.

"...**Woah**."

"Yes, exciting, isn't it? And I'll say my daughter's been doing a wonderful job of preparing you for not just your diamondship, but our marriage."

"Uh... Well... Huh."

"Now, since you asked me a question, I get to ask you a question... Hm, what should I ask... Ah, yes. Can you tell me, from your point of view, your experiences with Pink as your mother? I want to know how she did!"

A slow trickle of bad memories turned into a flash flood. Without warning, tears welled up at his eyes and trailed down his face. And yet, he was completely silent. He just sat there, a blank look on his face while his tears stained his pillowcase. Blue was immediately concerned, quickly moving to hold Steven in her arms once more.

"Steven, what is it? Why are you crying? You shouldn't be crying, your mother... Your mother loves you."

"I know," he responded in a flat tone. "I just have some bad memories of her."

"Do you feel like telling me some of them, Steven?"

"No."

"Okay. I think I'll leave you alone for a bit."

Steven didn't speak back. His eyes were vacant; he didn't respond to Blue's soft hug and desperate parting kiss. Blue frowned at his still body before she put her casual robes on and walked out of his room.

\--

"Steven?"

He woke up on the floor, next to the door to his room.

"Malachite?"

"I... I don't understand. I don't understand how you do it."

"Do what?"

"Your mother, your friends, they hurt you. They've been hurting you. And I don't understand what keeps you with them. You can teleport away from the palace, hide your energy signature, live in some remote corner of the galaxy for the rest of your life... Why not?"

He was silent for several minutes before his answer came to him.

"I... I love them. And I know they love me. I wanna make them all as happy as I can. I know that sometimes they don't treat me the best... But they're family. _We're_ family. I can't just leave them all behind."

"...I... Alright, Steven."

"Did I say something wrong?" he innocently asked.

"No. I understand now."

The door at the end of the hall swung open. Instead of his mother's room, it was the same void from their first encounter.

"Step inside," her muffled, monotone voice spoke. Steven got up from the floor, but made sure to ask her something before he stepped into the void.

"What am I gonna see?"

"Something that shows you that I understand."

Steven didn't press for a more detailed explanation. Rather, he stepped down the hall and entered the blue-grey void.

** _\--Three hundred and fifty years before the Universe Concordat--_ **

"Pink, I-! I can't believe you! Wasting your only Forgery on an unknown lifeform!"

Steven was witnessing an argument between White and his mother, who looked more annoyed than anything by White yelling in her face.

"And what would you have me do, _mom_?" Pink callously asked. "Waste a forging that takes, what, five hundred years to do again? Or waste a perfectly good gem and have him die or lose his mind?"

"We don't even know what these things are, and you gave your Forgery to one of their... bio-gemlings!"

"Well, _excuse me_! The kid said he wanted to kill himself, and I wanted to help him!"

"Oh, please, you've never done something so altruistic in at least five thousand years!"

"That's rich, coming from you!"

"Enough of this foolishness! I'm the leader the Diamond Authority, and as your leader, I order you to remove your Forgery from that creature _at once_!"

Pink gave White a volatile, angry glare. One that Steven recognized. **_Her_** angry glare. The glare that preceded bruisings that made him need to stay home from school. The glare she sported before she pinned him to the bed and '_fucked_' him in front of a camera, regardless of his cries. The glare that almost made him wet himself upon seeing it. In an instant, Pink lurched forward, her hand reaching low.

"Ghh!-"

White's angry, powerful facade slipped into submissive worry in a short moment. Pink's hand was tightly gripped around White's privates, White's face contorting while Pink squeezed as hard as she could.

"Stop believing our lies," Pink said. "Diamonds have no leaders. And if we did... We wouldn't choose a pathetic, spineless little **bitch** like you."

She released her grip only to deliver a backhand slap to White's face, sending her to the floor. White got up on her knees, Steven watching with horror on his face.

"Pink... Don't misunderstand... I just want you to be more responsible-"

A fist. Another crash to the ground. Sobbing. Steven closed his eyes.

**"I don't want to hear a _thing_ from about responsibility from the gem who came up with the Cluster!"** Pink screamed before kicking White in the abdomen, her rage reaching its peak. 

**"You stupid... little... _GGAAAAHH! WHY! DO YOU MAKE ME! DO THIS!?_ Why! do you make me! do this! after EVERY! THING! I'VE DONE! FOR YOU!? I'm not - even - a violent - gem, _why - do you have to - do this - to me!?_"**

"**Malachite!?**" Steven fearfully asked, dreadful memories of his mother rushing through his thoughts. "**I've seen enough! Can I come back now?**"

\--

He was curled up in a ball on the floor. His arms were crossed over his legs. His face was blank. His eyes were wide open. Her screams still rung in his ears.

_Why do you make me do this... Why do you make me do this..._

"Steven? I know. It hurts."

He didn't respond.

_I dunno why I make you do it, mommy... I dunno... I just wanted some more time before we started playing, mommy... I dunno why I make you punish me, mommy..._

"Steven, please, answer me."

"I don't wanna," he whispered back.

"I know. I just wanted to show you that I know how it feels."

Silence.

"Okay... I'm sorry. I'll stop showing you my memories of your mother from now on. And, Steven?... I know she... I know she hurts you. Sometimes, I experience your memories-"

"I wanna go."

"Go? I can't control when you leave this place-"

"I know. I just wanna go."

"Go where?"

"I dunno. Back to sleep, I guess."

"Steven, you-"

"Just leave me alone... Please?"

For once, he was content with Malachite not responding.

\--

He woke up to someone shaking him.

"Steven? Wake up! I've got something special for you!"

Connie's voice shook him from his haze as he laid at attention, although his vision was still unfocused.

"Wh- what is it?" he asked, his anxiety swiftly rising despite his muted emotions.

_She's gonna punish me,_ he thought. _She saw what I did to Blue and she's gonna-_

"Meet your new little sister!" she happily announced. He heard a happy little squeal from someone much younger before he felt a small body climb into bed with him. He shook his head, blinking a few times.

There were two Connies in front of him.

"Uh... Hi?"

"I know," the bigger Connie told him as she joined him and the other Connie in bed. "It's a lot to take in, especially since you just got up. But still, isn't it exciting!?"

She positively beamed with happiness. He had never seen anything like it in the three years he knew her. It was a far cry from how she was yesterday. And it made him deathly nervous.

"Wanna tell your big brother how old you are, Connie?" she asked.

"Five!" the younger Connie excitedly squeaked while she held up five fingers. The older Connie had a big, warm smile on her face, something that he'd only see when she would get called down to floor three.

"You're just the cutest little thing, Connie. Oh, I have an idea!"

"What?" the younger Connie curiously asked as she faced the older one.

"Your first name's Connie. Right?"

"Yup!"

"And what's your last name?"

"It's... Uhh... _Ma-he-swa-ran_?"

"Good girl!" Connie said, playfully rubbing the younger one's head. "Now, let's give you a middle name! Your middle name's gonna be Five, because that's how old you are!"

"Okay!"

"Now, I'm gonna let you and your big brother all alone for a little bit so you can get together. Okay, Five?"

"But I don't want you to go, mommy-"

"Don't worry, Five. I'll be just outside the door. You don't have anything to worry about. Right, Steven?"

Steven was left speechless by the whole bizzare scene. Connie gave Five a smooch on the cheek before leaving the room. Five turned towards Steven, the look of a troublemaker on her face.

"Wanna know a secret, big brother?"

She lifted her shirt to reveal a blue gemstone - a sapphire - where her belly button would be. Now, Steven knew exactly what was happening.

Connie made Five from a gem. The same way she 'made' Jazzie.

"...You're a gem, too?"

"Gem? What's a gem?"

"That blue thing in your belly. That's your gem."

"Huh... It's really pretty, isn't it, big brother?"

Steven suddenly felt a strong urge. An urge to touch her gem.

"Is it ok if I... touch it, Five?"

"Sure!"

Steven poked Five's sapphire; immediately, he sensed a rush of information overloading his brain. He pulled his finger back as his brain began to decipher what it could. A minute of silence later, and he figured it out. There wasn't even a trace of who the previous gem was in the gemstone. There was just Connie. Or, rather, the memories Connie implanted inside her. No father figure. No mother figure aside from Connie herself. No memories of their house, no friends until Steven, little schooling. Just a confusing mess of Connie's real experiences and fantasy designed just for Five.

_She did it,_ he thought. _She made a perfect copy of herself._

"What's wrong, big brother?" Five asked, a look of worry on her face.

"Huh?... Oh, nothing. I just got lost looking at your pretty gem. I might need a map."


	26. Chapter 22: You Got a Death Wish, Ronnie Fryman? - Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will make into two parts because I don't like my stories going over 15 pages in Word. :P

Smooch. Thrust. Smooch. Thrust.

"T- tell me... Tell me that you love me!"

Her breath stunk of alcohol. He didn't even know that gems could get drunk. He could even taste it on her teeth. Proper hard liquor, not the watery bilge Holly would occasionally have him drink.

"Ronnie, ple-e-ease! Tell me how much you love me!"

Her hands were gripped in his. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his backside. All he could do was thrust away and speak.

"Ple-e-ease, Ronnie..."

"I... I love you..."

"Huh?"

"I love you!"

"Y- yes! Say it again!!"

"**I love yooou!**"

He thrust again as he hit his peak. She let go of one of his hands only to cover her mouth.

"MMPH! _MMMMMMMMMHHHHHH!!!_"

Her attempt to muffle her scream may have been successful to anyone outside of the room, but Ronaldo wouldn't be able to tell. His ears were still ringing as he gave a few slow, hard pumps, feeling extra generous towards the night's last visitor. Then, he collapsed on the gem's black and deep-green body. He felt her warm, booze-scented breath beat against his smooth, golden locks. Then, he pulled out, crawling towards his side of the bed and putting his glasses on. The gem was still reeling from the intense session.

"How... Fuck... How much do I..."

Ronnie tried to remember off the top of his head, but it wasn't easy. He looked at the clock. 2:39.

"Alright... So, you had your hour, that's two-fifty... You didn't ask for the boyfriend experience, so I'm gonna have to charge an extra fifty. Finish inside, another fifty... And if you get pregnant, you gotta tell us. Don't just get rid of it without clearing it with Holly, ok?"

The gem smiled and nodded.

"Okay. The money's not an issue for me..."

She reached over to the bedside dresser and tossed plenty of crisp, paper bills at him, giggling as she watched him gather them all together.

"...I'll give up a month's salary just for some more time with you, Ronnie."

Ronnie gave a half smile as he stacked the bills from least value to most.

"Y'know, you don't have to keep this up..."

"Why not?"

"It's a little creepy. And I might have to charge you extra for the small talk-"

She tossed him another fifty bill.

"Okay, so let's talk."

"I was joking."

"I know, but... I wanted to see if you'd actually let me."

"...Huh. Well, they say you're not supposed to mix business and friendships, but, uh... You're not really my friend, are you?"

"I can be. If you want, of course."

"...Right."

-

** _*knock knock knock*_ **

"Hey, asshole, it's closing time!"

Ronaldo looked at the clock. 3 a.m. He grabbed the bundle of bills and sat up at the side of the bed as Holly entered the room. She grabbed the stack, flipping through the bills, looking impressed.

"Hoo... Neffie's blowing her whole salary tonight, isn't she? First it's drinking with the team, then this."

'Neffie' looked unconcerned as she sat at the side of the bed and got her clothes back on.

"Yeah, well... Science is hard work, Holly. Especially when you can't do any experiments yourself."

"Aw, don't tell me they don't let you use the test subjects."

"No. And why would they, and why would I? That would create heavily biased results. Besides, imagine the news."

"C'mon. That sort of stuff isn't even ticker worthy anymore."

Ronaldo got out of bed and got his clothes together when he felt something grab his hand. Holly looked pissed off.

"What are you doing?"

"I, uh-" Neffie began before Holly slapped her hand away from him.

"You know the rules. No wifing after business hours."

"I'm sorry, it's just-"

"**No. Wifing.**"

"I just wanted his phone number!"

Holly rolled her eyes, sighing.

"You still got your phone, Ronnie?"

He pulled up his jeans over his undies and pulled his phone from his pocket.

"Right here," he said. Neffie became excited once more as they each tapped on their phones, Neffie peeking over every few seconds.

"Yes! Alright, it's... Okay, then... Got it! Thank you!"

She gave Ronnie a pat on the back before slipping Holly a hundred dollar bill and promptly leaving without another word. Ronnie stood up and stretched, shaking out the remnants of his last climax for the night.

"Hey... She paid well, right?"

"She did. But that doesn't excuse her behavior. I don't like clients wifing my workers. The only wifing going on here is from you."

"Aw, what's wrong with a little-?"

"What's wrong is that she stops becoming a client and starts becoming a partner. And in our line of business, that's a no-no. Got it?"

"Got it. Now can I relax for a bit before bed?"

"Go right ahead."

-

3:30. Ronnie's eyes drooped while he spent every bit of energy he had trying to pay attention to the TV. It was on HT; the subject was Steven again.

_"Although Blue Diamond assures HT and its affiliates that her marriage with White will go according to schedule, many are worried about White's state, as he has not left the palace since his cancelled visit to Azuria's corrupted and clustered care home several days ago... other news... after several attempts to contact any of the other Diamonds... apparent coup attempt on... has since been imprisoned on..."_

Ronaldo shook his head. The story changed to Yellow Diamond's coup attempt. He groaned and shut the TV off. He sat in the couch, ready to doze off when the lights flickered and shut off. He heard footsteps behind him, making his blood run cold. He took a deep breath.

"Hello?"

"God, you're so easy to scare," Holly's voice came from behind him.

"Gah-!... Don't do that," he whined. "I know Emerald told you how much I hate that!"

"What can I say? Except I'm an asshole."

"Sure are..."

"C'mon. Bedtime. You're sleeping with me tonight."

Ronaldo shuffled from his spot on the living room couch and followed Holly up to the master bedroom, the bedroom she said she reserved for _special workers_. She closed the door, turned the lights off, and began to strip naked. Ronaldo figured that this was what she meant.

"I don't wanna do it now," Ronnie protested. "I'm too tired-"

"I know, moron. I just like sleeping nude. You should try it some time, it's good fun."

Ronnie ignored her passing insult and climbed into bed with her, removing his jeans and setting his glasses on the bedside dresser. The two stared at each other uncomfortably for a few seconds before Holly spoke up.

"What? You want me to read you a bedtime story or something?"

"No, uh... I was just thinking. That girl, Neffie? I don't wanna sound mean, but... I think there was something kinda... _not right_ about her."

"Human instinct prevails again," she quipped. "What gave it away? The stink of booze? Her little moment before she left?"

"Well, yeah, those things too, but-"

"Or was it her mouth? Did it feel a little... _funny_ at times?"

"...Uh... I don't like judging people's teeth, but-"

"But you know that that isn't normal for a gem. Don't you?"

"I dunno what's normal for a gem."

"Lemme tell you a little story. Remember those attacks a few weeks ago?"

"How could I not? They're why I'm here."

"Well, it's not the first time those assholes pulled something like that. Back when Pink Diamond... I mean, _Rose Quartz_ was uniting humans under her banner, there were still a ton of humans who didn't like what she was doing. Not based on any actual reason or evidence, but they just didn't like those damn gems coming over there and raping their planet and stealing their partners and bla, bla, fuckin' bla... So, some of those humans went and formed a group called Identity Terra Nova. And their first bid to stardom? The Corrupting Light."

"And what was the Corrupting Light?"

"It was the gem version of what you humans would call a 'suitcase nuke'. But instead of annihilation, it corrupted every gem in its radius. And instead of a city... It corrupted several planets worth of gems."

"My god."

"Yeah. Poor bastards that didn't get help fast enough turned into monsters. And even those that _did_ get help, they're just not the same anymore."

"Did you know Neffie before-"

"Yes."

"Wow. I'm so sorry for you-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm not losing any more sleep since Green Diamond wiped 'em out."

* * *

"Hey, bud."

"Hey, Carnelian..."

"Just call me Carn. Carnelian just sounds so clunky when you say it out loud."

"Alright, 'Carn'. Day off today?"

"Nah, split day. I gotta leave later tonight."

She joined Ronnie on the couch as he watched TV. It was the news again.

"Why are you watching the news?" she asked. "That's so boring. Wouldn't you rather be watching anime?"

"I don't wanna."

He gulped down a big swig of water from his bottle as the news story switched. It was Steven again; the headline read '_White Diamond / HT interview goes wrong_'.

_"Good afternoon, we have a breaking update on White Diamond's condition. As our viewers know, he was in the middle of a live interview this morning with our reporter Blue Pearl when he became unintelligible and lost consciousness. We've since received word from Blue Diamond herself that, although previous instances of White blacking out have lasted for a few minutes at most, he has not regained consciousness since the interview. Blue said that, quote, it was the worst she'd ever seen him since the old White gave him his gem. We go now to Blue Pearl, live on the scene in front of the Diamond Palace..."_

"That's awful," Ronaldo said, breaking the silence between him and Carn. "I hope they find out what's wrong with him."

"Yeah. I saw it live, y'know. Blue Pearl was asking him something about how proud his dad would be, and he went all glassy eyed."

"Oh no."

"Then he asked for his dad a couple times, said he couldn't see his face, and then..."

She pushed her fist into her open palm.

"That was that. Sucks to hear that he hasn't come to since then."

"Awful. My little brother was friends with Ste- _White_ back when he was a human, he'll be real sad to hear this."

"On that note, let's change the channel. This is really depressing."

"You got it."

Ronaldo switched the channel to the game show network. "_Pedophiles Are Smarter Than Children_". He relaxed in his place and put his feet on the coffee table. This show was _so_ dumb, but so _funny_.

_"Ladies and enbies, gems and gents, it's now time for a game of..." "WHEEL! OF! **NONCE!**" "Yes! Our two contestants will go head-to-head in a lightning-quick showdown, where every correct answer fills a spot on the wheel. The contestant who fills the wheel with their correct answer will get an _amaaazing_ cash bonus! But, if they get a wrong answer, the other contestant has the chance to fill the wheel!"_

The two's TV time was interrupted by a few knocks and a _***ding-dong***_.

"Aw, are you fuckin' serious?" Carn asked.

"Got it," he said, pausing the TV and answering the door. He was surprised; it was the gem from the previous night. 'Neffie'.

"Hello," she nervously spoke. "Is Holly here?"

"Nope," he replied. "She's at work. Did you want her for something?"

"No. I wanted you."

"...Business hours start at seven."

"I know, but I'm not here for business. I'm here for..."

She held out her hand.

"Friendship."

"...Uh... Alright. I guess Holly doesn't have to know..."

"Thank you," 'Neffie' said as she entered, joining Ronaldo in walking back to the couch. "It really means a lot to me, Ronnie."

"My name's Ronaldo. Ronaldo Fryman."

"Ronaldo Fryman... That's a _very_ pretty name for a human. My name's Nephrite!"

"Look, I know you wanna bang..."

"No, I don't, Ronaldo. I wanna be your friend."

She held his hand and looked him in the eyes. Her smile was almost blinding.

"I... I love you."

"Eheheh... Sorry, but... Holly says I can't see anyone on the side."

"What?" she asked, looking heartbroken.

"I know, I know. But the way she tells me, she doesn't want me giving out unpaid labor."

"But I can pay you, I can pay you full price and more-"

"Nephrite? Please. Listen to me. We can still be friends."

He looked back at her for a few more seconds before he made a risky, possibly stupid decision. He smooched her right on her smooth, green lips. The two were speechless. Then, Nephrite's big, beaming smile came back.

"Thank you, Ronaldo Fryman."

"Thank _you_. Now, can we get back go our TV show? Carn's been waiting for, like, three minutes."

"Sure! What're you watching?... Ooh, I love this show!"

The three came together on the couch. Ronaldo pressed 'play'.

"-But before we do that, today's pedophile contestant is a very special gem. Tanzanite, before we start, would you tell the audience and our viewers a little about yourself?"

"Absolutely," the blue gem said. "I'm an authority enforcer on Homeworld, I work in the capital of Malachia, and I have a decorated career as a police officer and a soldier under the old Authority."

"Now, how about you tell us what you're doing here, Tanzan? Is that a nickname I can use, Tanzan?"

"Sure. I'm here, number one, to split whatever cash bonus I get with our other contestant!"

The crowd whoo'd and cheered.

"And number two, of course, I wanna see how it is to date a human!"

The crowd cheered again.

"I wanna get in on the Diamonds' fun," she playfully shouted over the cheering.

"Very gooood! That's the name of the game, after all!" the host went on. "As for our other contestant, we have Jack! So tell us a little bit about yourself, Jack!"

A preteen with black hair and rimmed glasses cleared his throat.

"My name's Jack Gillespie, I'm 13, and I'm here to win money for my mom and dad!"

"Fantastic! How about Tanzan? You got your eyes on her, kid?"

"Nah... I'm single," he smugly boasted. The crowd chuckled.

"Not for long," Tanzanite quipped. Jack giggled; the crowd laughed out loud.

"Can you skip this?" Carnelian asked, shooting Ronaldo a look. "Get to the question stuff already."

"The question stuff's in, like, ten seconds. Show some restraint, Carn."

-

"Nephrite?"

"Call me Nef, Ronaldo."

"And you can call me Ronnie. It's, ah, getting a little closer to business hours..."

"Seriously, dude?" Carnelian interrupted. "I'm eating second lunch, and you wanna bang in front of it?"

"First, no one eats second lunch at 6:30. And second, we're not gonna bang. We're just gonna..."

Ronnie gave Nef a smooch on her neck. Her face glowed a deep green, emulating a blush.

"R- Ronnie..."

"Want the boyfriend experience? Free of charge."

"Oh, yes I do, Ronnie!"

They grabbed each other and began passionately making out, like reunited lovers.

"R- Ronnie..."

Smooch. Smooch, peck, smooch.

"R- Ronnie?... Can you fuck me?"

"Business hours don't start 'til seveeen," he playfully hushed back.

"C'mon, please? Just a quick one-"

"Go ahead. Fuck him. I insist."

The two stopped once they heard Holly's unimpressed voice behind them. Ronnie sat at attention, pulling away from Nef and putting his arms at his sides.

"I'm sorry, Holly-"

"Don't be sorry, be _indignant_. She's cutting into your stamina for the night!"

"**What's wrong with you!?**" Nef exploded as she stood from the couch, "**You've got a nice house and a cushy job, just like me! What's the extra three figures matter to you!? Or are you just jealous that he wants to be my partner!?**"

"Workers don't have partners, Nef, they have jobs. _Ronnie_ has a job."

"**LET HIM LIVE A LITTLE!**" Nef screamed. "He needs an emotional attachment that **isn't** dependant on two-fifty an hour!"

"And what he _doesn't_ need is someone like you wasting his energy and breaking his eardrums before his clients arrive. Now get the fuck out of here! And if you come by during business hours tonight, I'm charging you triple."

Nef stared back, angry and speechless, before stomping out of the house. Ronnie sat there, his hands on his knees, trying not to look Holly directly in the eyes.

"It was my fault, Holly. I let her in earlier and-"

"I'm not mad that she came here," Holly interrupted. "And I'm not mad at you. I'm just mad that she tried to fuck you before business hours. If she comes by and tries that shit again, _call me_. Now, clean up and get something to eat. You've got a full list tonight, and I want you in top condition."

* * *

3 again. _Thrustthrustthrustthrust_. Her breathing was shallow. _Thrustthrustthrustthrustthrust_. He grabbed her ass and pushed inside with all his might. _Thrust... Thrust... Pump. Pump._

"Haaah... Shit... Whew."

Ronnie pulled out of his client's ass, shivering from the intense experience. His client, a skinny, pink-purple amethyst, looked more than pleased as she lifted herself off Ronnie's lower body.

"Carn wasn't lying. You're pretty good. Just what I'd expect from the man with the best local rating on G-Passion."

"Ooh, G-Passion?"

"They didn't tell you? It's a review website for studs just like you. And you're a real diamond in the rough..."

She laid down on the 'business' bed, Ronnie rolling his boxers up and laying on her belly. The gem giggled back.

"Hey, I don't remember paying for the boyfriend experience!"

"This is just a little quid-pro-quo, you almost cut off the blood to my legs in that position."

"God, I love you humans. You make jokes out of everything."

"You haven't met Holly yet?"

"Hahah, you got me there... Say... Would you get off me for a second?"

"No problem."

Ronnie rolled off of the gem's belly, allowing her to get up and grab her discarded pants. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a card, slipping the bit of paper to him before putting her clothes back on.

"Hey, wait," he said. "You aren't gonna forget your panties, are you?"

With a wink, the gem playfully tossed her cotton magenta panties at Ronnie.

"Keep 'em. My compliments."

Ronnie could only smugly grin back as the gem counted out his earnings. Then, he checked the card she gave him. Amethyst F5C-8XG, Earth Affairs Advisor, Internal Security and Reconnaissance, phone numbe-... _Amethyst F5C-8XG._

"Holy sh... You're a member of the Famethyst? _The_ Famethyst?"

"Yup. Mama's first."

She playfully pinched his cheek.

"You're playing with the big girls now, Ronnie."

"_Niiice_! Does this mean I have _connections_ now?"

"Hate to break it to you, but no. You just have some friends in high places... But that isn't a bad thing to have. Anyways, my time is up. Enjoy your night."

"You too, miss."

She left his earnings on the bedside dresser before leaving the room. Ronnie stretched and grabbed his phone from his discarded pants, deciding he needed to take a visit to G-Passion. Instead, he was sidetracked: the LED was blinking, and he had a notification about over twenty new texts. That's weird, he thought. I shouldn't be getting texts at this hour. They were from a number that he didn't recognize. The start of the message was visible. '_ghod imbsop sorry_'. He assumed it was someone with the wrong number until the next text. _'please holly dont hurt him.'_ Immediately, he texted back.

_'nef? It's ronnie'_

_'dont lie to me holly! I know ur right obver his shlder and makingh him type that!!'_

_'holly's downstairs, and i'm in the middle of some downtime at work. You're fine, nef'_

_'FCUK YOU HOLLY BITCH THIIEF FUCKER I KNOW UR FUCKIMG ABUSING HIM YOU SIJCK FUCK'_

_'calm down, please. Just take a few deep breaths and clear your head'_

_'LIAR UR GIVIN HIM A FUCIKNG BLACK EYE RIGHT NOWASSHOLE'_

The texts continued to pour in, calling Holly a bitch, a prick, and all other sorts of defamatory names; Ronaldo simply swiped them out of his notifications whenever they came up.

_What was that site? Yeah, yeah, G-Passion._

He found it with a simple search. True to 8XG's word it was a review site for workers just like him across Homeworld. A few more seconds of filtering, and he found himself among the top ranks in Malachia. Although he was normally rather humble, he felt the delightful tingle of satisfaction in the back of his head. He checked out his reviews, going by the most recent. All of them were four- and five-star reviews.

_Seventeen seconds ago - 'Every bit as good as I expected from a finely trained 15yo. Get him while he's still young, ladies and gems!'_

_Two hours ago - 'the jane's a dumbass, she should be charging WAAAY more for cock this good.'_

_Five hours ago - 'BF experience? Check. Cute glasses? Check. Fine ass? Check. Actually knows where the clit is and what to do with it? Double check. GJ, ronny. Props to the caretaker for her work on him.'_

Then there was a really weird one from eight hours ago. It was long, winding, with terrible spelling and grammar. It was hard to read or understand as it was, but the poor or nonexistent punctuation sealed the deal. He skimmed through some of the lines, some dribbling nonsense about soulmates and how 'she' didn't deserve him. He could obviously tell who it was, given how similar the composition of the 'review' was to the oh-so mysterious texts. Feeling his refractory period waning, he smirked as an idea popped in his head.

_Reply to review... No, I'm not a robot... Hmmm... Hit her with the 'no u'._


	27. Chapter 22: You Got a Death Wish, Ronnie Fryman? - Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. Finally. Ran out of steam near the end, but w/e. It's done. Now, we can get back to Steven soon enough...

"Hey, Ronnie... Ronnie? Time to get up."

"Rngh... I'm friggin' tired... What time is it?"

"About 7:30."

"PM?"

"AM."

"Aw, what're you getting me up so early for?"

"It's Take Your Slut to Work Day."

"Are you frickin' serious?"

"Yes and no. It's not actually called that, but I gotta take you along. Diamond's orders."

Ronnie shuffled out of bed, looking and feeling groggy and sweaty.

"You didn't tell me about this last night..."

"Sorry, it came up out of nowhere. I forgot to tell you when I had the time. Now, c'mon. Get a shower and get something to eat. I want you looking good for my coworkers."

The light flicked on, and he heard Holly head down the stairs. Ronnie closed his eyes, gradually opening them back up so they could adjust. He blinked out his morning blurriness and shook out his wake-up aches, heading towards the adjacent bathroom to begin his daily routine. Mouthwash. Brush teeth. Still didn't have a beard. Whatever - that would probably drive down the demand for him, anyways. He stepped into the shower and ran the hot water, cleaning off last night's mess of dried sweat and other fluids. Hair wash. Body wash. Gotta look extra good for everyone.

"Hey, Ronnie."

He felt a quick paralytic shock before turning around. Carnelian was standing outside the shower.

"Ahh!... Damn it, Carn."

"Mind if I join ya?"

"You could have at least knocked!"

"So, is that a yes?"

"Since you're already here, might as well."

Carn stepped in and shut the shower door, already undressed. Smiling, she ran her smooth hands down his freshly-washed arms.

"Have you been using that body wash again?"

"Yup."

"I like it. It makes your skin feel so nice..."

"I think we should just cut to the chase. Wanna fuck?"

"You know it."

"Ever done it in the shower before? 'Cause I haven't."

"Nope, but that shouldn't be a problem. Just wash your dick before you put it in, ok? I don't want any soap down there."

-

"Where's Carn?"

"She got a bit held up. She'll join us later."

"You just left her there like a whore, didn't you?"

"Hey, it's what she wanted."

Holly started up the ship and took to the skies, headed for her workplace with Ronaldo.

"Did you at least say 'thank you'?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I don't want you to get comfortable bending the rules just because you're fucking us. Next time she does that, she's paying full price."

"And you?"

"I don't need to. I'm your boss."

Ronaldo couldn't question that. He looked out the window, at the hordes of ships passing by in the morning rush. _I wonder where Dad is,_ he thought. _I hope he's still alive out there... Still can't believe how they handled that whole thing. Let's just put the armed and dangerous guys on a ship with my dad and don't give 'em an escort. Morons..._

Ronaldo's eyes caught his destination, and his thoughts cleared. The Diamond Palace was in plain sight now. But something had changed since the last time he saw it. Surrounding the palace were several smaller buildings, sparkling and vibrant against even Malachia's glistening, colorful backdrop.

"I don't remember those being there before," he thought aloud.

"Get with the times, old man," Holly quipped. "Those have been there for over a week."

"A week? You serious?"

"Yeah. Turns out five floors isn't enough for the Diamonds' business anymore. Not that it ever was enough, but I guess it took two new Diamonds for the others to realize that."

"They must've been invisible, 'cause I don't remember seeing them before now."

"You'd be surprised at how fast gems work. Especially for the Diamonds."

The parking garage stuck out like a sore thumb, its dismal grey contrasting with the bright, energetic colors just outside. Pulling into the parking garage, they found a spot soon enough - "soon enough" meaning "after several minutes of aimless driving and mumbled cursing". The two exited the ship and went down to the ground floor, Holly clocking in at the exit. Ronaldo looked outside. The Diamond Palace was a towering crown jewel, encircled by several other buildings, close, but not equal to its beauty.

"Welcome to the Diamond Complex, Ronaldo," Holly said as she motioned towards him. "Now, c'mon. I gotta get to work."

They walked out onto the crystalline sidewalk, a look of awe on Ronaldo's face as the bright colors and unique, jagged architecture of the complex were imprinted into his memories.

"The Diamond Complex... It looks amazing. I've never seen anything like this before."

"For someone who watches a lot of news, you don't pay attention too much."

"It's not my fault that HT runs jailbait all day."

"Jailbait?"

"C'mon, don't tell me you haven't seen how the cameras ogle at dudes. Especially those under my age. And those stories they run? Who cares about some 10 year old dating someone a hundred times his age? I'm better off leeching from your Playgem subscription for more wholesome content."

"My Playge-? Who told you about that?"

"I didn't tell you about that time Carn and I went raw the other night? She set the mood with some hot stuff. Hope you don't mind renting _Bismuth Boy Breakers 7_ again."

"Ugh. Do that again, and both of you are gonna pay me."

-

The two had finally reached the front of the Diamond Palace. Holly flashed her ID; the door opened automatically. The main floor was a hub of workers and visitors, mostly gems. But even Ronaldo could tell that something was out of the ordinary today. Several gems had much younger characters accompanying them, mostly gemlings, some even human boys. But he had little time to dwell on it once he followed Holly to the front desk.

"Floor two. Holly Blue Agate. Here's my verification, and this is my escort for today's activities. His name's Ronaldo Fryman."

"Thank you, ma'am, and welcome, Ronaldo," the gem at the front desk cheerily said as she typed on her keyboard. Then, Holly took Ronnie by the hand and led him towards a set of elevators. The middle one came down; only they got on. Floor two. The elevator door soon opened up to a boring, dreadfully dull office space, sharply contrasting with all the beauty just outside. It was a grey, windowless floor, the lights in the ceiling being the only light source. Holly led Ronaldo over to her office. Internal Security and Reconnaissance, Homeworld Affairs Administrator. He could tell by the title what that meant - no wonder she was so grouchy all the time. Holly sat in her spot, looking as professional as ever.

"So, I guess it's time to fill you in on what's happening. Have a seat."

He did as she asked without a word, acting as grown-up as he could.

"Like I said back at home," she continued, "today's the first ever Diamond Complex Workplace Escort Day. Woo-hoo. That means someone like me brings someone like you along for the workday, and any gem here can use you as long as they pay."

"Wow. You sure I won't get some sort of... gem STI?"

"Gems don't have STIs."

"Oh."

"Next, you're free to leave floor two, but don't leave the Diamond Complex for any reason whatsoever. Trust me when I say that there are even shadier characters than me out there. Third, anyone who wants to use you needs to pay up. You know my fees. Two-fifty a fuck, fifty for the boyfriend experience, fifty to finish inside. No haggling, no favors. Someone wants to try that shit, send me a message using this."

She handed him a pager, colored just like her. 

"This is for the two of us. Diamond approved. Don't forget that I can call you back here at any time for any reason. Including sex. So if you're not here on floor 2 and I give you a page to come back, you have to be right here in a reasonable amount of time relative to your position. Say that you're in building 5, I'll give you about three to five minutes. Just tell the lady at the front desk who you are, and she'll let you right in."

"Alright," Ronaldo replied, mixed between feeling confused and confident. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. Don't go above floor two. It's for your own good."

Holly leaned over, looking outside her office window.

"Well, look at that. Looks like you've got some visitors already."

She got out of her seat, answering the door. Ronaldo remained still as two gems entered the room. He saw Holly had put on a smile.

"Hello! What can I do for you today?"

"We're shooting some footage for today's events," he heard a familiar voice say, "and we'd like to... Wow, is that the Kissing Boy?"

"Sure is," Holly replied. "You wanna get up close and personal with him?"

"No thanks, but I would like to talk with him, if that's alright."

"Be my guest."

A blue gem sat next to him. He immediately recognized her.

"Blue Pearl?"

"Yup!"

"Wow... Is this gonna be on TV?"

"Some of it is, some of it isn't. Are we rolling, Yellow?"

"We will be," Yellow Pearl replied. "In three, two, one..."

"Good morning, Homeworld! I'm your host, Blue Pearl, and I'm on the scene at the second floor of the Diamond Palace for the first ever Workplace Escort Day!"

Blue Pearl continued on as Ronaldo smiled and acted as naturally as he could, despite panicking internally

_Don't look at the camera. Don't fidget. Just stay calm. You can do this._

"And as you can see," Blue Pearl continued, "we have a very special guest with us right now, none other than the famed Kissing Boy - that's right, the boy photographed kissing gem celebrity Emerald in the wake of the hostage crisis in Beach City is here with us right now! So, can you tell everyone your name?"

"Yeah. Ahem... My name's Ronaldo Fryman, I'm from Beach City, and I left with Emerald once we found out my dad was involved with the whole thing."

"That sounds absolutely awful, being torn away from your homeworld like that, Ronaldo."

"It kinda is. I miss the little things, y'know? I miss going down to the boardwalk, I miss my friends at school, I miss my little brother."

"Is your little brother back home?"

"No, actually, he's with Hessonite."

Blue Pearl looked surprised.

"He is? Is he the one who married Hessonite?"

"Yeah. Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all! It's such a small world..."

-

"Alright, we're almost done. One last thing, Ronaldo?"

"Yes?"

"Can you... Gimme a kiss?"

Ronnie raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Just for the sake of our viewers. Please?"

"Holly, you want me to...?"

"Go right ahead," Holly responded.

"Thank you," Blue Pearl said as she leaned in towards Ronnie. He could smell her icy, minty breath; he could sense her presence violating his personal bubble. Not wanting to feel so awkward and uncomfortable for much longer, Ronaldo pressed his lips against Pearl's without a second thought. He felt her giggles bounce around in his mouth before she pulled back.

"Okay, okay," she said with a laugh. "I know that you wanna stay and chat, but we've got a schedule. Anyways, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ronnie."

She shook his hand and stood up before facing Holly.

"Do I need to-?"

"Nope," Holly said back. "This one's on the house. Thanks for the publicity."

"Thank you for giving us some quality footage. Have a good day, you two!"

The two gems swiftly left the office without another word. Ronnie's face was as red as a beet.

"Well, uh, that was awkward."

"Yeah, it's normal for them to do that. She's called Blue Octopus for a reason."

"...I think I'm gonna go off by myself."

"Alright, just remember what I told you."

"No leaving the complex, and come right back when you ask."

"And?"

"And everyone pays."

"Good."

Ronnie left Holly's office and went out into the office space. The normal humdrum of an office day was interspersed with moans and sighs from various gems, which Ronaldo found somewhat amusing. The last place he'd expect cries of 'fuck me' and 'harder' was in such a drab, boring place that anyone could work at. He aimlessly walked around the office, giving a nod and wink at any gem who would holler or cheer at him. Then, by the water cooler, he saw someone he recognized. He sped up his walking pace, hoping to catch her before she walked away.

"Hey, are you 8XG?"

"8XG? I'm 8XJ," she said back, turning to face him. Her color was slightly different from 8XG's, different enough to make him feel stupid for mistaking them.

"Oh, uh, sorry," he stammered, his face turning red. "I'll just-"

"No worries! 8XG's my sister. She even works here with me! The joys of nepotism, eh?"

"Oh. Alright, do you know where she is?"

"She'd normally come around about now, have a break, chat and gossip... Oh, there she is."

From the side approached 8XG, looking cheerful as always.

"Hi, J!... Ronnie? Oh, wow, I didn't expect you here!"

"Hey," Ronnie spoke with a nervous smile and wave. "I thought J was you, so, I, uh-"

"It's fine, Ronnie. It happens a lot in our family."

"Well, it's nice to see you again. What do you do here?"

"Like, my job? Oh, it's really boring. Mainly just filtering stuff from the Internet."

"What kind of stuff?"

8XJ's face suddenly took on a grave expression.

"The kind of stuff that gets you a visit from the gems upstairs."

She paused, then the two snickered and broke out into laughter.

"Gotcha!" J exclaimed. "You should've seen the look on your face! Naaah, we're not some evil, censoring dudes. Eh, gems. Instead, we keep the peace without having to lift a finger."

"How does that work?" he asked back.

"It's a bit complicated," G said, "but I'll try and simplify it. Let's say, you've got a girlfriend. And you find out they've been seeing another girl on the side. What do you do? And you can't break up with them."

"Uh... I guess I could try and talk it out?"

"How so?"

"...Uh... I guess... We could try and make it an open relationship?"

"Good. What we do is kinda like that - we're the gems who form open relationships, but on a scale that's way bigger. And sometimes forming an open relationship means... Hm, I dunno... _Misleading a conspiracy crank who works for a news organization to make him sound stupid and throw him off our tail?_"

"...Well, that's weirdly specific."

"True story," 8XJ said, cutting back in. "Don't worry, you won't get put in prison or anything. You're in with the big girls now, Ronnie. Speaking of... Wanna fuck?"

Ronaldo was taken aback by her blunt request.

"Here? _Now_? Can't we at least find somewhere more private?"

"Aww, don't be such a prude. Look around you. Hell, have a listen."

"I did, and I did."

"So, there's no shame with us when it comes to sex! What do you say?"

"Hm... Alright, I'll-"

_ ***WHRRRRR!*** _

"Oh, come on," Ronnie mumbled. Of course, his phone vibrated in his pocket right when he managed to get some action. _Not now_, he thought as he pulled it out. It was the same number from last night. Her number. Only three messages, much different from the all-caps, near-indecipherable texts sent during his business hours.

_'hey... if ur there...'_

_'im sorry about last night. i got rly drunk and im sorry'_

_'if ur with her today... im in building 3. tell the receptionist and shell send you right up. Im so sorry plz forgive me'_

"Hey, guys?" Ronnie said. "Change of plans. I'm gonna head over to building 3."

"Ooh," 8XG teased. "Someone's got a date with a scientist. You know her name?"

"Yup. It's Nephrite."

Silence. The pair looked stunned.

"You got a fuckin' death wish, kid?" 8XJ asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ronnie and 8XG stared back at her, both visibly uncomfortable.

"Wh-... What's up?" he asked back, worry in his voice.

"What she's _trying_ to say," 8XG interrupted, "is that Nef hasn't been the same since the... incident fifty years ago. She told us her PCD got better, but... You don't know what that is, do you."

"Nope."

"Well, you go see Nef and I'll text you a few things about her issue. Ok?"

"Alright. I'll be on my guard, I suppose."

"Don't be defensive, just be... wary. Ok?"

"Ok."

* * *

The inside of the R&D building looked dreary. Only the natural lighting from outside allowed Ronaldo to see a bored, annoyed gem sitting at the reception desk. He cautiously approached, the receptionist shooting a glare back at him.

"Hello?" he asked, a tinge of anxiety creeping around his body.

"Yeah?"

"Nephrite called me here. Where can I find her?"

"Elevator's right there."

"What floor is she on?"

"She's the head of R&D. Where do you think she's at?"

"The... Top floor?"

"Ding ding ding. I'll let her know you're here."

"Thanks."

"Whatever."

Ronaldo rolled his eyes and took the elevator up to the top floor, an uneasiness in his gut worsening with every floor.

_8XJ said I had a death wish. What the hell did she mean by that?_

_ ***whirr-whirr!*** _

He checked his phone without a second thought. Messages from 8XG.

_'Nef has Post Corruption Disorder Type B. PCD-B is a lifelong condition characterized by poor impulse control, obsessive-compulsive behavior and developing a dependent personality, among other things, all coinciding with exposure to the CL attack fifty years ago.'_

_'A few years ago, she asked one of the Diamonds (the old White, I think) to give her body systems for processing substances like alcohol, and White agreed. I guess that White didn't think about healing her. Moron.'_

_'She's been a bit of a mess since then. Every time we try to turn things around for her, something in her decides to get back on the drink. She's still a brilliant scientist, and it shows in her work, but'_

** _*ding*_ **

Ronnie didn't have time to read the last wall of text 8XG sent him. He put his phone away, stepping into the mostly dark room. There was a single light on at the back of the room. A lamp light. She was there, holding a bottle of whiskey. Nephrite. She was the perfect picture of drunken depression, slumped in a chair, her eye drooping, her face blank, her head resting on the table.

"Ronnie..." she faintly called out to him. "I'm really sorry..."

Ronnie made his way towards the back of the room, reaching Nef as soon as he can.

"I know you are," he said back, immediately assuming the role of the compassionate friend. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," she spoke, her words slurring. "Holly musta found out 'n... God, I hate that fffuckin' cunt bitch..."

Ronnie sat with her, giving her a hug.

"Don't worry about her. Everything's okay. You've got me now."

The two were silent and still for over a minute, Nef gazing back into Ronnie's eyes.

"Thhhank you, Ronnie," she said, breaking her silence. "Uh... Hey, c'n you c'mover here 'n fuck me?"

"Well, uh... I absolutely can. But you gotta pay."

"Okay..."

She pulled out her wallet and grasped at a few bills, fumbling with the money before haphazardly grabbing several bills and tossing them at him in frustration. He picked them up and counted them out - one hundred, two hundred, three hundred... In all, it totaled to over a thousand dollars cash.

"Hey, uh... It only costs three fifty at most."

"I don't care!" Nef passionately exclaimed as she grabbed Ronnie, standing from her chair. "Just be my boyfriend, please!"

"I... I can do that. I can be your boyfriend, Nef."

Before she could respond, he pressed his lips against hers, surprising her with a deep kiss. She easily embraced it, the two swapping tongues and spit as soon as they could. He could taste the smoky cinnamon whiskey in her spit and on her teeth; he felt the rugged, dry texture of her tongue as it danced with his. They kept quiet, enjoying the tender moment between them. He pressed and pressed against her lips until the heat inside him became unbearable. Hastily, he undid his pants and began to grind his clothed crotch against hers. Nef responded by lifting her skirt and sliding her undies aside, her glistening warmth rubbing against his now stained underwear.

"Lemme... Lemme get these off," Ronaldo panted.

-

"Hahahahah!"

"Hahah, okay, so first off, he starts by telling me he's not a furry..."

It had been almost twenty minutes since his arrival in the R&D building, and he was having a good time. Nef let him have some of her drink; it was bitter and hard to get down, but he felt much more lax once it hit him. He'd been ignoring the buzzing in his pocket for quite some time, and he didn't give a shit. He just sat there, content and drowsy, on the floor, back against the wall, and partially naked as his new girlfriend straddled his waist and loudly laughed along with him.

"I dunno what a furry is, but, uh... _*hic!*_ it sounds... super dumb!"

"You want dumb? You haven't heard dumb yet! Just pass me the b- bottle and I'll tell you aaall about it!"

Nef clumsily gripped the bottle of whiskey, jiggling it around. She took a good look at the lower half of the bottle. Almost empty.

"Aww," she slurred, "there's not much left... I wanted some more."

"Hey, I got an idea. How about we share the last of it?"

"Shhhare?"

"Yeah, just- **_*URP!*_** Ugh, wow, I'm sorry about that."

"Yyyou're fine."

"As I was saying... Can you gimme the bottle for a second?"

Nef looked at the whiskey. Then back at Ronaldo. Whiskey. Ronaldo. Whiskey. Ronaldo.

"Ehhhh, ssure."

She handed the bottle over to him. Ronaldo tightly gripped it before using his other hand to grab the back of Nef's head, pushing her in close. She giggled like a gemling.

"Wwwhat're you-? Eheheheh!"

Instead of speaking, Ronaldo gave Nef a rich mouth kiss, then quickly dumped the rest of the whiskey on their crossed tongues. It rolled off of their tongues and onto their clothes. They barely even got any in their mouths before they pulled away. Staring back at each other in confusion, Nef smiled.

"Heheh... Eheuheuheuheuheu!"

Nef laughed. It was a natural laugh; a dumb, ugly laugh; an adorable laugh. Ronaldo snorted, then laughed along.

"Ahahahahahah! That was really stupid! Ah, I really shouldn't have done that."

"Nno worries- _***uuurp!***_ I got more drink back at my place. Wwanna spend the night?"

"Aww... I'd love to, but Holly would be so pissed..."

"Fuck'er. She can rot with Greg U and the old White."

"Ooh, ooooh!"

** _*ding!*_ **

They turned their attention to the elevator. Ronaldo hastily put his undies and pants back on, not wanting anyone other than Nef to see his drunken, half-dressed state. He preferred that they only see his drunken state.

"Ronnie? You here?" Carn called out. "Holly wanted me to come and get you."

Nef covered Ronnie's mouth with her hand, sporting a look of worry unlike any he had ever seen.

"Please," she hushed. "I don't want her to steal you away from me again."

_Steal? What? She's my boss_, he thought as he heard Carn's footsteps come closer.

"Ronnie, the receptionist told me everything. Please, just come with me so Holly won't be mad."

He held his hands in the air before Nef forced them back down; he yelped before Nef suppressed his voice with a deep kiss.

"Ronnie?"

Carn's footsteps grew closer. Ronnie almost felt like he was in danger, and he couldn't tell whether it was from Nef's attempts at restraining him or the threat of Holly's anger. He felt teardrops running down his cheeks - but they weren't his.

"Ah, there you are!... Woah. I'm sorry!"

Nef broke the kiss.

**"NO! DON'T YOU FUCKING STEAL HIM FROM ME, YOU _THIEF BITCH!"_**

"Wha-? No, I wasn't gonna-"

**"LIAR! YOU WORK FOR HOLLY, AND HOLLY WANTS HIM BACK!"**

"Yeah, she does, but she just wants-"

** _"GO AWAY!"_ **

"Nef, please," Ronnie joined in. "Please, just calm down for a second and listen!"

"Ronnie, no! You can't go back to her! If you do, I... I dunno what I'll-"

"It'll just be for a few minutes, and I'll be right back. I swear. I promise. Just gimme five or six minutes. Can you take a deep breath for me?"

Nef's hyperventilating eventually calmed into deep, slow breaths.

"O-... Okayy..."

"I promise."

He smooched her on her tear-stained cheek.

"Promise."

He stood up, wobbling as he walked over to Carn. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"...You ok there?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little bit drunk."

\--

"We're closed, asshole."

"Closed? Why?"

"The main event's grounded."

"Oh, bullshit, you don't ground your moneymaker!"

"I do. Now fuck off and come back next week."

** _*SLAM!*_ **

Holly trudged back inside the house, sitting down on the couch. Ronaldo was beside her, his head low, shame in his expression. He was dead silent as Holly shot him a glare.

"I'm not mad, Ronnie... Alright, I am. I'm pissed the fuck off. But more than that, I'm disappointed. You ignore my pages just so you can drink with Nef?"

"She paid me..." he whimpered. "She paid me a thousand bucks..."

"That doesn't mean you can ignore direct orders from your boss. And you're lucky Carn came back when she did, or else I would have gone up there myself."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be sorry! Be mad! Be as mad as I am! Be mad that that sack of damaged goods wasted your time and energy the way she did! God damn it, it's gonna take a day or two for all that shit to get out of your system-

** _*ding-dong!*_ **

"Oh, fucking come on!"

Ronaldo began to cry as Holly went to answer the door.

_I should've just got paid, fucked her, went to Holly and came back. I dunno why I didn't just do that! But no, I just had to-_

"Who the fuck are-"

** _*FLASH!*_ **

Ronaldo turned around. Holly wasn't there anymore. Her gem was rolling around on the carpet. In came a shady looking character with a balaclava. Ronnie froze, completely caught off guard as the figure stepped towards him. He huddled up on the couch, the figure looming over him as a very deep, personal fear reared its head. A fear he hadn't felt in weeks.

"Wh-... Who are..."

They rolled up the bottom part of their balaclava. They were smiling.

"I saved you. I saved you, Ronnie."

"Wha-?"

They kissed him. The moment he tasted the inside of their mouth, he knew exactly who it was. She pulled back.

"Let's go. Let's go before they take us away forever, Ronnie."

"You... You just killed her-"

"She's not dead, the Diamonds'll put her back together soon enough. Now, please, let's go!"

"You killed my boss! How am I gonna-?"

She suddenly grabbed Ronnie by the arm, dragging him out. He remained silent for his own good as they ran down the street and into the night.


	28. Chapter 23: Don't React

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying something different with this chapter.

_afwephemensandheWHYDONTYOUJUSTSHUTITphrgemsodrewleSHUTUPIMGOINGOUT_

...where am I?...

_ibekalmtawnneIDONTWANNACALMDOWN_

...mom?... mom...

_gfjghghfjfgsdshoneypleaseimsorryimsorryijustLETGOOFME_

...dad?

_psjdiwosksmxkeeidontcareitsyourfaultYOURFAULT_

...dad... are you there, dad?...

_dbshwbdhfuehryisldlemrforthebabyfhensnsisodkfjfbbcuduthebabythebabySTOPTALKINGABOUTTHEBABY_

...dad... I can't see your face... daaad...

\--

Void.

Light.

White.

Wash. Emotion. Sad. Shame.

"Dad?... I can't see your face... I can't see your face, dad... **I can't see your face, dad!**"

He opened his eyes to his home... Yes, this was his home. His earth home. The Beach House... No, it wasn't his home... His home was the Diamond Palace. What was he doing here? And why did everything look so gross? The house was in the worst state he had ever seen. The walls were run-down, the paint peeling and its bright colors blackened with mold; the furniture, tables, and decorations looked like they had gathered years of dust; the vile stench of metallic blood and freezing sweat filled the air. Outside, the sky was tinted salmon pink, and the water was tinged with a disgusting golden-brown color.

"Ma-la-chite?"

The word fell from his mouth as he stared outside. Malachite. The White Diamond who wasn't White Diamond. Yes, Malachite was locked in his room for some reason, and she was looking for something... The nexus, whatever that was. It all came back to him. Immediately, he rushed up the stairs and knocked on the worn, scratched door to his room.

"Malachite? Malachite!? What just happened to me!?"

Silence.

"Malachite?" **_*bang-bang-bang*_** "I'm here! Did you have something to show me?"

Still, nothing. He knew it normally took a while for Malachite to say something back, but something felt oddly different this time. _Malachite can't have messed up the house,_ he thought. _She hasn't taken a step outside of my room since this whole thing started. And if she did, she has some explaining to do._

"Malachite, if you're in there... Please, just answer back. Say something. Please. I don't wanna be here by myself."

A few minutes more of waiting for a response, it never came, and Steven gave it up. He sat on the floor in defeated frustration.

"Malachite, what's going on? What's wrong with me?"

_Don't... move... your eyes... Just stare straight ahead... Don't blink..._

Malachite's hushed voice rung in his head. He looked around, a glimmer of hope in his heart.

"Malachite? Did you come out of my room yet?"

_Just stay completely still... Don't speak, don't even breathe wrong... Steven will find it soon enough..._

"Malachite!? I'm right here! You wanna talk? Please?"

_Don't move, don't even react... Amber? Don't look at her. Amber, what are you-? Amber, no! **No**! Amber, please, he's not even **conscious**! Get away from hi-... Amber... You monster... Amber, whatever you do once he finds it, just... Don't treat him like another me..._

"Amber? You mean my mom? Amber's my mom, right? What's she doing to me, Malachite!?"

He didn't get a response. After a few seconds of dead silence, he heard Malachite whimper and sob.

_Don't treat him like me, Amber... Don't treat him like me... Don't treat- **whatwasthatnoise**?_

-

"PINK!"

"G-! GO AWAY!"

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"JUST LEMME DRAIN HIM OUT BEFORE-"

Blue climbed onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Pink's torso. A struggle began, Blue pulling away while Pink pushed herself forward.

"Get - offa - me - Blue! Lemme - make up - for-"

Blue saw an energy-laden hand heading for her; she intercepted it, meeting it with her own.

"Once Steven gets better, you're going to have all the time in the galaxy! But right now-"

"RIGHT NOW I NEED HIS DICK!"

"NO, YOU DON'T! SHOW SOME RESTRAINT FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!"

"I HAVE! **MANY TIMES!**"

"NOT SCREWING HIS BRAINS OUT FOR TEN SECONDS ISN'T RESTRAINT!"

"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!"

***pop***

Blue was pulling back with such force that she slammed herself against White's wall once she got Pink out. Thinking quickly, she wrapped her legs around Pink's, maintaining the odd position until another gem entered the room.

"Don't worry, Blue," cried Pearl as she rushed to their side.. "I'll help you!"

A white energy orb appeared in her hand. Pink suddenly grew an expression of angered fright.

"No-no-NO-NO-NO-"

Pearl pushed the orb into Pink's chest, knocking her out cold the moment it sunk into her. Pink's jaw hung open; her head and body slumped over. Blue untwisted her legs and pushed Pink aside.

"Thank you, Pearl," Blue softly spoke as she stood up. "I'm sorry that you had to do that. It must be torture to do that to your Diamond."

"My only Diamond is Steven," Pearl replied. She then held Pink by the underarms and dragged her from the room. Blue took a deep breath, then joined Steven on his bed, his body deathly still, his eyes open and glassy. She ruffled his hair, giving him a smile.

"Steven, I hope... I know that you can hear me. Whatever's wrong with you, I know we can fix it. There should be a doctor coming around soon. Until then, how about we have a chat? I decided that what the complex needed was... Oh, you don't even know about the complex, do you? I mean, you do, you must have seen it before-"

Her gaze accidentally lowered to his bare waist and spread legs; his hastily pulled-down pants and underwear; his privates, still lightly glazed with... A heat rose within her. She closed her eyes and bit her lip as her fingers trembled.

"Uh... So, I was thinking... We could have a day where... Gems bring their favorite escorts, and, ah... It's coming back, my love..."

_Try thinking of something else, try thinking of something else! I can't do this to Steven when I just-!_

"Blue?" Pearl announced as she stood in the doorway, free of Pink. "If you want, I can stay with Steve-... White... Whatever he wants me to call him. Just until you, ah, y'know."

"You're a lifesaver," she exhaustedly responded. "Please, watch him, and make sure no one sees him until the doctor arrives! And _no sex_!"

Blue sped out of the room and shut the door behind her, leaving Pearl all alone with Steven... And she was feeling very glad that she checked her camera feed when she did. Joining him in bed, Pearl redressed Steven, lovingly and tenderly, as a good little gem should. He always looked so adorable in those cute human clothes, and even more so with those denim jeans gathered at his ankles and that pink cotton shirt pulled up. But... she had to respect Blue's wishes. So, she restrained herself from intercourse and instead chose to have a one-sided conversation - although, she knew he was listening.

"Hi, Steven! It's so good to be with you again. And guess what? I composed another poem for you! I call it 'Steven Universe'! Do you wanna hear it?... Of course you do! I know how much you love my poems, My Diamond!"

She snuggled up with his still body, holding his unresponsive hand while she pulled a holonote from her pocket.

"Ahem. My Diamond... White Diamond... Steven Quartz U. Steven Quartz is your 'official' name, but... Not to me and Blue. Steven Universe, the only son of Greg and Rose, both gem and human from glorious gemstone to cute, little toes... I don't even care that that messed with the flow, it's not like anyone else is listening in. But I know you're listening, my shining White, and I know you don't mind when I take some creative licenses! Anyhow..."

\--

_This must be the one Pink fashioned a few decades ago,_ Steven heard Malachite say in his head. _I can sense it in her gemstone. Her conditioning is so ingrained that-... Don't react. Don't react. Don't re- nnnooo, don't cringe, don't even wince... N- no, no, no! Don't react, don't react! Why are human feet so sensitive!? Stop it! Stop it, Pearl!... I, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... Don't cry, Pearl. Don't cry. I didn't mean to kick you. You understand, don't you?. Please say-... Yes, she thought it was just a reflex... Don't look back at her... She's calmed down. She's going back to her... poem... An insult to the word._

_Malachite?_ Steven thought. _I'm gonna start looking for the nexus now. Is everything alright there?_

Nothing. Anxiety creeping up on him, Steven decided to resume his search for the nexus, at least just to distract himself. Where was the last place he-... Yes, his mom's room. He didn't remember why he stopped looking there, but he knew it didn't last long. Cautious, he looked over at the end of the hall. Even in the unlit hallway, the door to his mother's room was easy to spot. Bright pink. Pristine. Pretty. _Might as well,_ he thought as he made his way to his mother's room with the lightest step.

He opened the door. Everything was exactly as he remembered, and it was a far cry from the rest of the house. The walls were clean and muck-free, the bed was neatly made, and there was a notable lack of dust on the bedside end table. The room was well lit, highlight the intense pink colors of everything else in it. _Well, everything looks nice so far_, he thought. _Didn't I have some problem coming in here last time?_

_Steven?_

He heard Malachite's voice cry out.

_Something's... Something's happening with Steven! No, no, no, he found one of them!_

_Malachite?_ He thought back. _One of what? What's got you so scared? There's nothing in here._

_Damn it, damn it, damn it! I can't reach him! I can't reach him... If they get him, then... Then my interference was for nothing..._

_I can hear you! I can hear you, Malachite!_

No response. Steven looked down and sighed, and without another word, he sat on his mother's bed, opening the bedside end table's compartments.

"Nexus? C'mere, nexxie, nexxie, nexxie... I know you're around here somewhere..."

No luck in there. Just some old photo of him and... Photo. He checked his pocket. That photo of him from when he was a young boy was still there. He pulled the other photo out from the compartment. It was him and Garnet at some sort of control panel.

_Hey... I remember this! This was when Garnet and I took off in that ship! Man, that was so fun... I wish I had a chance to go back to them... I'd tell them all about how it is being a Diamo-_

A trickle of a strange, clear liquid on the wall caught his eye. _What's that?_ he asked himself as he put the photos in his pocket, stuck a finger out, and wiped up a trace of the substance. It was slimy, oozing down his finger. It made him giggle.

"Eeeww... Cool!"

He looked up. The ceiling was almost covered in the fluid, running off of the ceiling and onto the walls. Some of the paint began to peel off in places where the fluid ran in abundance. He wiped his finger off on the table as the substance started to coat the walls, the stripped paint revealing some foreign surface underneath. It was fleshy, and as pink as the wall hiding it; it smelled fishy and fruity at once. Disturbed, yet intrigued, Steven held a hand out and touched the surface.

"OUCH!"

Something inside him hurt badly when he pressed his finger against the soft, fleshy... thing. The pain wasn't a shock, or a slap, or a pinch or a burn... It was almost indescribable. It was more like some sort of throbbing, draining sensation. It went away as soon as it came. Steven looked horrified as he emptily stared at the strange wall.

"...Huh," he thought aloud, trying to lighten his situation with a joke. "I don't remember mom putting that in the-"

Turning around, he didn't get to finish his thought. Some sort of pink lump was sticking out from the ground. It wasn't there before. And it grew. No, it rose. Steven felt his heart miss a beat as he hurried over to the lump. He stamped on it with his feet, but it kept going. He pushed against it with his hands; it didn't even make a dent in its progress. It felt sticky and hairlike... Hairlike. This was something's hair. Before he could think further, the top of someone's head came into view. Steven backed off, his legs wobbling. Their eyes were visible.

_Her_ eyes. **_Her_** glare.

"Mom?" he whimpered.

He froze in panic as he watched his mother slide out from the floor, clothes and all, her face fixed in her frightening, angry stare. She was covered head to toe in the clear substance; it dripped from her eyes and nose, ran down her arms and legs. Her form was fully in view, her feet sliding out with a greasy **pop**. Then, she fell face-down to the floor with an unpleasantly odorous **splat**. Steven stepped back, his heart racing, his mind running through anything he could possibly do.

_I can't fight anyone, let alone my mom! I can't run away, because she'd just block me! And she'd grab me if I tried to power through her-_

"She" looked up, her face still stuck in that angry glare as her body moved by itself, sliding on her chest. "Her" clothes began to slide off as she moved along the floor, Steven in her sights. Stepping back again, Steven tripped over himself and fell to the ground. He huddled against the corner of the room. "She" was getting closer, her expression unchanging, her clothes running off of her body to reveal nothing but featureless, moist skin. 'She' slid on her belly, heading up between Steven's legs, soon face to face with him.

"G- get away from me, Amber..." Steven mumbled.

Out from "Amber" came the high-pitched, squeaking shriek of a baby, her mouth not moving at all as the cry pierced his eardrums. She pressed her greasy, runny face against his, her bare, naked body seeping into his clothes and melting into his skin. The draining pain came back, but much stronger. The clear fluid began to drip down onto his clothes, worsening the pain. It felt like something was rotting inside him. Then, the pain began to fade. His vision began to fade. Everything began to fade. He knew what this was - he was dying. Dying. It was frightening. It was cold. It was blank. Feeling weaker by the moment, Steven put his hand in his pocket.

_I... I need to... see Garnet... One more time..._

He pulled one of the photos out. "Amber" suddenly withdrew "her" face from his. "Her" body reformed into a solid mass on top of him. Steven felt some of his strength returning, the hollow sense of imminent death fading. He held the photo out towards "Amber", her form gradually slithering in reverse. The slime was crawling up the walls and disappearing into the ceiling; the paint was being restored to its former luster. Steven stayed put, the photo shaking in his hand as "Amber" suddenly stood upright. "Her" eyes rolled back, and "her" jaw unhinged, falling off and turning into clear goop when it hit the floor. Then, her form melted into the pink, fuzzy carpeting, leaving no trace of its existence.

Steven was breathless, shakily getting off of the floor and standing on his own two feet. It was over. He released a heavy outward breath, feeling an unmatched relief.

"I... I did it... Whatever I did, I did it."

He looked back at the photo - it was entirely blacked out.

_Huh_, he thought. _I remember something being here... Eh._

He discarded the blank photograph, reaching back into his pocket.

_Oh... I'm real glad I kept this one. That was so fun. Garnet was super nice, too... I miss her... Ooh, I hope Malachite saw that! I destroyed a monster all by myself! I can't wait to tell everyone else once I get back home._

\--

"I- I was just reading him some poetry and his eyes rolled back and he stopped breathing and-"

"It's alright, Pearl," a gem in uniform said, holding her hand as she sobbed. "He's been stabilized. He's gonna be alright."

"He... He is?"

She wiped off some tears, calming herself down with the news.

"Thank you... But it was so scary, it happened so fast, I could never live a second without him... Is he, uh, 'awake'?"

"We're doing everything a first responder can, ma'am."

"Pearl!?"

Pink's voice boomed throughout the throne room as she rushed over to Pearl and the paramedic, a fury unlike any other in her face. She grabbed Pearl by the neck and slammed her against the wall.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON!?"

"N- nothing, I swear!"

"LIAR! YOU DON'T JUST KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF WITH STEVEN!"

"Ask Blue, Blue-"

"WASN'T IN THE ROOM WITH YOU!"

Pearl desperately grabbed at Pink's hand, her maker's grip threatening to crush her throat.

"Pink... I... He..."

"WHAT!?"

"Stop it," the paramedic intervened. "you're going to crush her-"

Pink sent the gem flying to the far side of the room with a wave of her hand, never breaking eye contact with Pearl.

"TELL. ME. NOW! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM?"

"Khh... Nothing... His breathing... just... stopped... I think... I heard him... say... "Amber"... before..."

Pink suddenly released her grip on Pearl's throat. Pearl crashed fo the floor on her hands and knees, her gasping and coughing mixed with wails and sobs as she bowed before her maker.

"I'm sorryyy," her unusually gravelly voice spoke. "I'm so sorry, My Diamond!"

"You're excused, Pearl..."

"Y- yes, My Diamond..."

Pearl crawled, then stood up to walk away from the scene. Pink looked on, surprise tinting her angry expression.

_Amber... He knows. Everything that useless little nothing knew, he knows._

She entered her son's room, questions forming in her head. The other paramedic was packing up their gear, looking frightened by Pink's mere presence.

"My Diamond? I just wanted to report-"

"Make it fast, and leave."

"Y- yes, well, there was nothing wrong with him."

"What do you mean, _nothing wrong with him?_"

"I mean, between the time we were called here and the time we arrived, his breathing was normal, along with almost everything e-"

"Y'know, my patience for _bullshit_ goes out the window when my son **stops fucking breathing!**"

"My Diamond, I genuflect, but I gave him the best examination I could. White is a perfectly healthy ten year old gem, and by all accounts, he should be walking around without a probl-"

"AND IS HE WALKING!? **CLEARLY** THERE'S A FUCKING PROBLEM!"

"I genuflect, I genuflect, I genufle-"

"GET OUT! **GET THE FUCK OUT, NOW!**"

The paramedic grabbed their kit and promptly raced out of the room. Pink's temper blew over as the room quieted, aside from her and her son's breathing. Her deep, seething breaths compared to his normal breaths. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Steven... We all thought that what that piece-of-**nothing** Malachite did was two birds, one gemstone. Killing herself by giving her gem to you. I guess it was too good to be true, wasn't it?"

_Go ahead. Touch his gem, you vile, hateful soul_, Malachite thought as Pink sat beside Steven's unresponsive body.

"Since you don't seem like talking," Pink continued, "maybe your gemstone will do it for you."

**_Enjoy Hell,_** Malachite thought.

Pink pressed a finger against Steven's gemstone.

"Nothing's... Are you fucking serious? Nothing's there!? Of course, because Malachite was a stupid little bitch, she didn't know anything! Malachite, you useless waste of a Kindergarten slot! If you weren't already dead, I'd have you killed a million times ov-"

A crackle of electricity shot up her finger, ending her diatribe. Her expression changed in an instant. She looked scared, anxious. Something was coursing up her arm.

_Wh... What the hell is thi-..._

_ ***FWSHH!*** _

"H- Help meee," she cried out as black and white electricity shot from her body at random. Her senses were overloading with raw pain. Her strength being sapped, she crawled from the bed and tumbled onto the hard, white floor.

**"HEEELP MEEEEEEE!"**

No one burst open the door to save her. Steven didn't get up, proclaiming he knew exactly what was wrong and how to fix it. She just laid there, writhing, the strange energy unraveling her life force. Energy... That's it! She put her hands on her gemstone, thinking of the only way to remove incompatible energies.

_It hurts, it hurts, it... Channel it... Channel iiiit!_

The pink gemstone in the center of her belly shot out sparks of black and white electricity. The pain would have caused a normal gem to pass out. But not a Diamond. And certainly not Pink.

_C'mon, come ooooon!_

Her head throbbed with pain as energy continued shooting from her gemstone. Her hands were firmly grasped around it, the rest of her body flailing. Her strength was almost gone. This was it. She had to expel the energy, now.

**"NNNNNNGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**

_ ***FWSHHHHK!*** _

"Nngh... Aaaaauuuuugh..."

A small light was visible through her fingers. She took her hands off of her gemstone, then spread them apart. Between them was a tiny, crackling orb, its composition a mystery to her. Before she could hold it again, it faded into light, leaving nothing behind.

"...What the hell..."

She was too tired and hurt to move. Aches and pains sprouted up all over her body as the aftereffects of energy incompatibility rocked her.

_Fucking... Oooowwwww... Fucking **bitch** tried to kill me... Fuck... Fuck fuck fuck..._

Another minute of waiting and internal cursing, the pain had quelled enough for Pink to stand up without assistance, although it still hurt like hell.

"Malachite..."

She trudged back towards the bed.

"Malachite, you... You're in there instead of my son, aren't you? I know you're in there. Answer me. Speak."

Steven's dead, glassy eyes stared back, piercing her black soul. It angered her beyond description.

"SPEAK. TALK, YOU FUCK."

She grabbed his arm, crawling on the bed.

"**TALK**! TALK TO ME, MALACHITE! **WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON!?**"

_Go away, mom_, a thought popped into Malachite's mind. _I'm playing shopping with Peedee!... What?... I never did... Yes... Yes, Steven... Steven must have done something... I'm feeling so happy now... Thank you, have a nice day, mister Peedee... One dollar for apples, mister Peedee's dad!_

**"YOU'RE LISTENING! I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING, MALACHITE! ANSWER ME OR I'LL RIP YOUR GEM OUT OF HIS HEAD AND MAKE YOU ANSWER ME!"**

_You're really mean, mom! Go away! I'm trying to have fun! His dad just came up, I don't wanna play games with you right now!_

Her screaming failing to even faze Steven, Pink's gaze lowered. She grinned, an evil idea forming in her head.

"_This'll_ make you talk. This always makes you talk."

Her hand groped Steven's private parts, kneading and squeezing them through his shorts as she stared back into his eyes.

"Now. TALK. Talk to me like a good little gem. Tell me what you're doing inside him. Tell me what your plan is. Tell me-"

A bubble erupted from his gemstone, pushing Pink off of the bed with its expansive force. She groaned in pain, pins and needles in her extremities, and got back up. A pure white bubble shield had surrounded Steven.

"Grrrr... **RRAAAAAAGH**!"

She banged her fists against the shield, knowing it wouldn't do anything. She was just _so damn pissed off_ that Malachite could do this _again_. Again, she was alone with him. Again, her bubble shield made them inaccessible. Again, she was doing something with him. A hateful, heated anger rose once more, swiftly reaching its boiling point.

"MALACHITE! C'MON, MALACHITE! **I'M GONNA KILL YOU! TAKE THIS STUPID THING DOWN RIGHT NOW OR I'LL... _GAAAH_!"**

She gave it up. Her voice was getting hoarse. Her fists were aching. She was almost out of breath.

"Malachite... You fucker... You win this time..."

Her fists clenched, she walked out of his room without another word.

\--

He had checked all over the place. Under the bed, under the dresser, in the dresser, in the closets. Nothing. The whole room seemed empty past the surface level.

"Aw, c'mooon," he said, exhausted. "I spent, like, ten minutes searching for this stupid thing! Stupid nexus. I wish I knew where it was... I wish Malachite could tell me where it was."

** _*BANG! CRASH!*_ **

He gasped in fright. The sound of breaking dishes and slamming fists came from downstairs. It was audible enough to hear even from his mother's room, even with the door closed. There shouldn't have been anyone else in the house. Maybe it was another one of those monsters... But he had to be brave. He just destroyed one of those monsters, another one would be no challenge, right? Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to his mother's room and stepped out into the hallway.

It looked even worse than when he had left it.

The carpet was gone, replaced by metal grating that rattled loudly with every footstep. The walls were stripped of paint, and looked like they hadn't been cleaned in decades. In contrast, the hallway smelled... fruity. Orange. Artificial orange cleaner. It was the icing on the sickening cake. Steven coughed and trampled his way to the end of the hall, holding his shirt up to his nose before taking a step downstairs.

There was a light on... The TV was on; it lit up the lounge just enough to take in his surroundings. Red and black muck was splattered on and seeping from the adjacent wall. The furniture's cushions looked more like dry skin than fabric. And someone was on the couch. Their hair flowed down to their shoulders; it was colored a beautiful crimson, contrasting with the red in the walls that made his stomach churn. He took a few more steps down the stairs; the other figure didn't react while he went around and sat down. He saw their face.

"Spinel? Did you make all that noise?"

No response. Her eyes were blankly staring at the TV screen. Knowing he wouldn't get anywhere, he just sighed and turned his attention to the TV. Some romance movie was on. Boring. He hated romance stuff. He looked around the rest of the room. Outside the window, the sky had had turned from salmon pink to berry purple, the water a soothing, pale thistle tint. He turned his gaze back to Spinel. In the light of the TV, he saw her gemstone. There was a perfect, pinpoint hole in the middle of it.

"Spinel?... Are you... dead?"

"A nice lady came by the other day."

Her mouth moved. But it was his voice coming out. His dry, single-tone voice.

"She landed in the field I made for my only friend in thousands of years... _Thouuusands of yeeears..._ She asked me some questions, too. I was too scared to tell the truth on some of them... I didn't know why. She looked too nice to hurt me if I said something wrong. But I couldn't tell her about what Amber did to me... I couldn't tell her about the Cluster... I couldn't tell her about the ring... I know why I couldn't say that stuff now. Amber always touched my special parts when I did something bad. She yelled at me a lot. She play fought with me and made me cry. I didn't want her to find out I was telling the nice lady all that stuff, so I... kept quiet... I still feel really bad about it."

"Spinel" reached into "her" pocket, pulling out a stuffed animal that looked much too big to fit in it.

"The nice lady gave me a nice present for lying to her. I'm too sad to have it anymore... And Amber would be mad if she found out where I got it from..."

"Do you want me to have it?" Steven asked. He didn't get a response; "Spinel" just laid her arm down, her body going limp. Steven touched the stuffed animal, his pudgy, little fingers gripping the friendly plush. He pulled it from her hand without a problem. He took a few moments to admire it. It was really cute: it was a pink lion, blue and white buttons for eyes, a black spot at the end of its face that was supposed to be its nose, and a stubby tail held on with a pink button. Pink, pink, pink pink pink. Steven hugged the stuffed animal, feeling a sense of regaining something lost, a tinge of nostalgic sadness in his smile.

"Thank you, Spinel," he said, turning back to her. She had disappeared... Oh well. It was the present that mattered. He set it in Spinel's spot before heading into the kitchen. That was where the noise from earlier must have come from - he certainly didn't see Spinel next to any broken plates. The dim light from the TV barely entered the kitchen, Steven stepping cautiously towards the light switch. _If this works,_ he thought,_ I'm gonna be really surprised_.

** _*flick*_ **

The light came on. Steven breathed a sigh of relief. Everything looked normal, about as normal as Pink's room before all that weird stuff started happening. No gross, moldy walls, no metal floors. He felt oddly calm at the moment, a small sense of normalcy returning to him. Even if something seemed a bit... _off_.

"Alright," he said, clapping his hands together. "Time to look for the nexus again! And since mom isn't here..."

He used a nearby chair to hoist himself up onto the counter. Standing on the tips of his toes, he opened the upper cabinets with little issue. _Alright_, he thought, _time to see what mom keeps above the stove!_ He opened the cabinet doors and...

Nothing.

No ingredients, no utensils, no equipment. Just wet, rotting wood.

_...Huh? Well... Maybe the other cabinets have something in them._

He checked the adjacent set of cabinets; no luck. To his surprise, every cabinet and drawer in the room was barren, down to the last one. Just like his mother's room. There wasn't even a convenient photograph. Just nothing. Nothing but the stink of soggy, rotten oak.

_Well... Maybe there's nothing here._

He turned around, walking out when he tripped on something, hurdling forward a few steps before regaining his balance.

_What the heck?_

He glanced back. It was a bottle. He picked it up, noting its fullness, and examined the label.

_Ridiculously Stupid Hard root beer... 60% ABV... What's that mean?_

The bottle cap popped off without any interference. _Can't just put it back now_, he thought. He got a whiff of the stuff - it was a real kick in the nose. He coughed lightly from the scent of something much different from normal root beer.

_Augh, it stinks like... Fruit, if I didn't know what fruit was!... Wait a second..._

He sniffed again. The drink smelled much stronger this time. And it felt lighter, like someone had just taken a hefty sip out of it.

_I... I think I've seen this before... Yeah, yeah, I have. I don't remembe-_

_"Guess who broke into your mama's stash! Like it, Steven? It's a grown-up version of root beer. She doesn't want you drinking this stuff, but since it's your birthday, I think you deserve a big boy treat!"_

_A- Amethyst?_

_"That first sip's a real kick, isn't it! How's it taste?... I knew you'd love it. You're a real root beer connoisseur! Woah, woah, slow down there, pardner!"_

Steven began to feel woozy and sleepy. In seconds, his vision doubled. He looked back at the bottle - it was empty.

_Wh- wha..._

_"Ya want some more? Knock yourself out, 'cause I got another one for you right here... Heheh, second bottle down already? Someone can hold their liquor real good! Guess what? I got one more bottle I saved for myself, but if you want it, I won't stop you!"_

_N- no thanks, I..._

The bottle was full again, draining much faster this time. With little time or energy to react, Steven fell to the floor, feeling desperately sleepy. His breathing slowed; his muscles relaxed. 

_"Mmm... Good stuff, isn't it?... Jeez, you're the most sloshed eight year old I've seen in at least four millenia... Shhh... Just let the drink take over. We're gonna play a big boy game now..."_

He felt something touching his foot. Then it crawled up his leg. It reached down his pants and...

_"My it-sy bit-sy fin... gers... Touch you on the dick..."_

_N- noooo..._

_"Don't make a sound, I'll be super quick..."_

_I'm too sleepyyy..._

_"Mama's not around, Amy-fist's in luck... Let my it-sy bit-sy pus-sy... Help big boy Steven... _ **fffuck** _..."_

_GggGGGGGGhhhhh..._

His legs seized. Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, Steven grabbed the thing reaching down his pants. It grabbed back. Even in his state of intoxication, he knew something was dreadfully wrong. He looked down. Purple fingertips were visible in his blurry, blackening double vision. He had to get out. Now. Groaning, Steven managed to turn himself over, crawling towards the lounge on his hands and arms, his legs feeling like they had stopped working.

_"Jesus **Christ**, Amethyst! What the hell did you do to him!?"_

_"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-y-y! I thought it would be fun to g- give him some of your drink and-"_

_"And how do I explain **that** to the paramedics!? Oh, my eight year old boy has **FUCKING ALCOHOL POISONING!** That's a common problem with eight year olds, **right!?**"_

_"Y- you can heal him, can't you?"_

_"What do I look like, a fucking wizard!? You think I can just spit on him, and that'll get rid of the alcohol in his blood!?"_

_"I, I didn't know-"_

_"Well, that makes everything fine and dandy!"_

Another hand grabbed at his foot. He was too stressed, too intoxicated to look back. His vision began to go black. Another hand, this time around his ankle. He was almost there. Another hand, groping his backside.

"Nnnnnghghhhh... Stoooooop..."

His hand touched the metal grating of the lounge. He gripped the surface as tightly as he could and pulled his head and torso out. The grip the strange hands had on his legs was suddenly released, and Steven was drunkenly catapulted out into the lounge, flipping on his head, his back slamming on the cold, rusted metal. He didn't feel like crying, although he would have in any other case. The drink had muted his senses enough for him to

\--

"Big brother? Big brother? Mommy, what's wrong with big brother?"

"Shh, shh, shh, Five. It's okay," Green said, holding little Five close. "I know his eyes look scary like that, but do you wanna know something cool?"

"What?"

"Your eyes do that, too."

Five's expression turned to shock and wonder.

"Woah... How can I do that?"

"Just fall asleep, and your eyes do it all by themselves. Doctors and scientists call it 'rapid eye movement'. Rapid means?"

"Super fast!"

"And movement means?"

"Running around and doing stuff!"

"Good girl!! So, when Steven's eyes go left and right and left and right _super_-fastly, what does that mean?"

"It means he's sleeping?"

"That's my girl! You're such a smart cookie! Now, I think we should let Steven go nitenite on his own. Ok?"

"Ok," Five's voice happily squeaked. Green took her hand and led her out of the room, Pink in front of them as they left. Her face was blank.

"Green? I'd like a word with you."

"Alright. Five, can you stay here for a bit?"

"Ok, mommy!"

Green and Pink walked a few feet away, away from Five's hearing range.

"Is this about what Steven did earlier?" Green asked.

"No. Although I'm still mad about that," Pink replied. "I just wanted to talk about Yellow."

"If you want to extend her stay, you don't need to ask me."

"No. I wanted to let her go."

"That's not happening."

"Why not?"

"Do you think she wouldn't try and kill me the second she got released?"

"Yes! We've talked it out! She goes free and forgives you."

"What's the catch?"

"She didn't have one."

"She thinks I'm stupid, doesn't she."

"No. She wouldn't risk you pulling her gem out again. She's scared of you, Green."

Green's expression changed to something more surprised.

"She's scared?... Of _me_?"

"Yes. Your display of power absolutely frightened her, Green," Pink said with a devilish grin. "I haven't seen her so scared since she became a Diamond."

Green grew a wide, almost ear-to-ear smile that beamed with hateful delight.

"Good. I'm still gonna keep her in there for the rest of the day, but if you're not bullshitting me..."

"I wouldn't bullshit you, Green. When have I ever?"

"Good point. I think I'll pay her a visit."

"Be my guest."


	29. Chapter 24: Stone and Flesh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS HEAVY VIOLENCE AND SOME DESCRIPTIONS OF GORE. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

"M- My Lord, I did just as you asked, but I told you I didn't-"

"The traitor's penalty is Shattering. Even if it's my own daughter."

"My Lord-!"

"Enough. Magistratus Zircon will present the evidence against Princess Malachite."

Steven looked around, finding himself in a glamorous, warmly colored room. At the head was a green gem-man, sitting in a very royal-looking seat; beside him, another gem holding a stack of papers. In the center was White Diamo-... No. Malachite. Malachite was kneeling and crying softly, her hands bound behind her back. To her side was what appeared to be a jury or royal courtship, all men, and all dressed lavishly. Spinel, who had earlier voiced objections, had snuck off around the back, likely cooking up some plan to save her friend. "Magistratus Zircon" began listing off dates, occurrences, and transcripts as Steven followed Spinel's footsteps.

"Seventeenth of Tiirdas, this year," Zircon said. "Recorded conversation with Prisoner 612. In it, Prisoner 613 says that she, quote, "wants to overthrow this damn system and rebuild a better one in its shell. They'll kill us all, or worse, our planet," unquote. Second of Miirdas, 613 confirms transaction for tourist visa, tells Prisoner 611 that it was, quote, "a backup in case things went badly". 5th of Miirdas, two Gems of Power are reported missing."

Steven felt a sharp spike in anxiety as the words were said. They knew. They had to know that she stole both of the Blue and Yellow Gems of Power. Who else could it have been? None of her friends had the unique access to them like she did. The artifacts that were rumored to change living to dead, inanimate to sapient... geological to biological... were normally kept in secret underneath the royal palace. She and Spinel were careful and yet reckless to hide the gems on their persons; the security missed both times. Spinel was skeptical, of course, but those full-body scans hadn't yet reached the point of detecting objects inside a gem's body.

"Stop this!" Malachite screamed out. "You all know I'm guilty of all the charges! Why can't we just get this over with!?"

"There will be order in this court-!" the Magistratus began to bellow.

"She's right," the King interrupted. "We have more than enough evidence of her thefts and her treasonous collaborations. All that needs to be delivered is swift justice."

The King stood from his seat, conjuring up a sword in his hand, his beautiful jeweled necklace swaying. Steven felt glued to the scene as Malachite whimpered and stared up at her impending fate.

"On the order of Lord Malachite the Eighteenth, I sentence you, Princess Malachite the Fourth, to shattering-"

"SPINEL, NO!" Malachite and Steven screamed out at once. Behind the throne room was a startled Spinel, holding something blue before-

** _*PWHSHHH!*_ **

A blue energy field blasted across the room. Spinel darted out of the room, looking terrified. Silence overtook the room. Then, one of the jury members began to scream. A primal scream of fear and despair. He drew his weapon and shot himself in his gemstone, falling with no flair or bravado. He was just on the floor. Dead. The men next to him began screaming as well, drawing their own weapons and stabbing and shooting at their gems. The room soon descended into a crying, wailing madhouse. The King closed his eyes and focused, his limbs trembling as he seemed mostly unphased by the scene of carnage and terror around him.

"Dad?" Malachite loudly asked. "What's happening?"

Steven could feel the deep, blackened fear on her mind. Fear of making it out of the room. Fear of what would happen to her friends. Fear about Spinel and her father and-

"Ngh- NGHAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The Magistratus struck the King with his weapon, slicing down his abdomen, almost cutting his gemstone in half. Malachite's eyes were wide open in shock. Then, she broke free of her bonds and blasted the Magistratus' gemstone clean off. He staggered backwards before falling into dust. Her father fell down moments later, clinging on to his life. Malachite crawled over him, beginning to sob.

"**Daaaaad!**"

Looking stern, he used what had to be the last of his strength to pull out his necklace. The middle piece was undone.

Out fell a white diamond.

"Take this."

His gemstone broke. His form disintegrated entirely, leaving the diamond the only memento of his existence. Malachite stood there, on her hands and knees, her mouth agape.

"D-... Dad?... Come back, dad..."

Overcome by grief, and a tinge of anger, she grabbed the diamond and jammed it into her forehead. Steven felt an intense, pounding pain in his head, exactly like when Malachite gifted the diamond to him. Eyeing the door as the pain grew, he stumbled before running off, Malachite's screams in a dead room filling his ears.

\--

"Hi there, Azurite. So good to see you again."

"nnNNAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGH!"

"Yeah, it's been hurting real bad, hasn't it?"

Her eyes were glowing yellow. In her hand, the handle of a sword appeared. Outward from the handle grew a spiked longsword, ancient runes engraved along the middle. The deep-green aura radiated from the sword, its spikes curved upwards, its runes glowing black and red.

"Between you and mom, I'm gonna be _real_ busy!"

** _*SLASH! SLASH!*_ **

"GYAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"

"How's that nervous system I gave you working out?"

** _*THRUST*_ **

"Or the pulmonary system!? Looks like they're working just fine!"

"MERCY! MERCYYYYY! MERCY, PLEASE, CONNIE- YAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Connie's dead," she said as she gave Azurite another slash before telekinetically holding her upside down. "My name is Green. Green Diamond."

She pointed the sword down as her aura intensified.

"This'll teach you."

Outside, Pink Diamond laid back in the observer's chair, smiling as she listened to the sounds of vile butchery. Green was adapting to the yellow diamond just fine. And Azurite was adapting to her new gemstone perfectly.

"How does it feel?" Green asked. "How does it feel not being able to do anything but sit there and take it!?"

"STOOOOOooOOOooooOOOOP!" Azurite yelled, her voice hoarse.

** _*STOMP* *CRUNCH*_ **

"NNGH... Kgh..."

"...She passed out again."

"Don't bother," Pink spoke into the microphone. "She'll heal up just fine. How about we go visit your mother?"

"Great idea," Green growled as she withdrew her weapon and calmly walked out of the interrogation room. She shook off the blood and sinew from her hands and dress, staining the floor while leaving herself spotless.

"Sorry about the mess."

"It's fine. That's why we have cleaners."

Green zipped past Pink and into Interrogation Room 002, just down the hall. She entered the interrogation room. In the corner was a body. The body of a woman. Judging by the decomposition, she looked to have been dead for several weeks at least. Her clothes were sullied with bloodstains and rot; her eyes were hollow; her mouth lifelessly hanging open. Green grinned as she heard the door open up behind her.

"You need me, remember?"

"Do it!"

"Do it...?"

"Please?"

"Of course."

Pink laid glowing palms upon the corpse. In seconds, the decomp began to simply bubble and fade away. Color was restored to the woman's face. Bones audibly cracked into place. Her figure was straightened out. Her eyelids shut, then reopened, her eyes full of renewed life. She took a deep breath in. Then, she looked around.

"Ah-! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

** _"HI THERE, MOM!"_ **

Priyanka Maheswaran crawled into the corner of the room, Green hovering over her.

"You can leave now, Pink."

"Sure thing. Enjoy your family get-together. I'm sure it'll be cathartic..."

Pink left the room without another word. Priyanka tried crawling after her, but was stopped by Green, kicked on the side before huddling back into the corner.

"Where do you think you're going, **mom!?**"

"NO! NOOOOO!"

In Green's hands, two spiked rune swords formed.

"Get up."

It only took a raised swing of the sword to make her comply. Then, Green handed one of her blades to Priyanka.

"Let's fight."

Green took several steps back, allowing Priyanka to get a grip on the sword. It was heavy. It would have been almost impossible for Connie to hold something like that. She swung it a few times until she got the feel of it.

"Ready?" Green asked.

Her hands trembling, and with fearful eyes, Priyanka dashed towards Green, dragging the sword along the ground and swinging it with all her strength. Green blocked the blow with ease. They locked blades, Priyanka pressing the blade down as hard as she could, while Green spared no effort in holding her back. Realizing her effort was fruitless, Priyanka withdrew the sword before attempting repeated slashes. All blocked with a smile. Getting angry, Priyanka pulled back before thrusting the sword into Green's chest.

Green made no effort to block it.

The blade impaled her, going through her like a heated steak knife through butter. There was no cry of pain, no plea for mercy. Green kept smiling, looking much more devilish now. Priyanka stepped back, frightened.

"Wh... What the hell did they..."

Green took the sword out of her chest and tossed it at Priyanka, impaling her against the opposite wall.

"Remember the first time I killed you? That was fun, wasn't it?"

Green sliced up from Priyanka's groin, going carefully as she reveled in the anguished screams of her former mother.

"I remember it just like it was yesterday!"

Her blade had reached Priyanka's midsection. Green looked pleased.

"Heheheh, your guts are leaking all over the floor... Ooh, there goes your liver... Your heart's working extra hard for nothing! Might as well just end this now!"

** _*SLASH*_ **

A single slice was all it took. Priyanka was cut perfectly in half. Green crouched down, a wide grin on her face, her clothes and bare skin covered in crimson and gore.

"Once you die, my friend's gonna bring you back. Again and again. Every time you die."

She raised a gem-hardened foot.

** _*CRUNCH*_ **

"Heheheheheh!... Ahh... I think I'm done for now. Hey, Pink."

"Yeah?"

"C'mon back in here and fix her up for next time."

"Sure thing."

Green withdrew her blades. Pink entered the room and began to mold the separate halves back together.

** _*shlrrrrrrk* *fchhhh*_ **

"Nnghh... aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Heheh, hahahahahahah!"

"NGHHAHAAHAHAAAAAAAGH!... yyyYYYYAAAaaaaaaauuugh... gueeeeeh..."

"Passed out already? C'mon, mom, I know you can take more than that..."

Once she was done, Pink slapped some cuffs onto Priyanka's wrists. Green looked to be in a state of zen.

"Thanks, Pink."

"You're welcome. Green."

_ ***bzzzzz!*** _

Green's eyes snapped back to attention. Her pager went off.

"Ugh. I hate these things sometimes..."

Nonchalant, Green left the room in a mild hurry, soon followed by Pink.

\--

Scratching.

Wiggling of fingers and toes.

Looking around the room.

She could do none of these.

She didn't lack the ability to do those things at all. Sometimes, she really wanted to move herself and get that itch on her back, or flail out the pins and needles she'd get from laying too hard on one spot. But she couldn't. She couldn't because of her caretakers. The ones that, if she even made eye contact in the wrong way, would descend on her like blowflies to a corpse. They even had their doctors come in, their specialists and technicians. None could find anything wrong. Because nothing was wrong - at least, not with the body she inhabited.

No, the body itself was perfectly healthy for a ten-year-old boy, if a tad chubby. He probably got it from his father, poor man. She could feel the boy's father in his DNA. It made him real. Greg was more than just a face now; he was a big guy. A good man. Never smoked or drank a day in his life, although his subpar diet meant that he had a depressingly high chance of developing some cardiovascular issue past his fifties. His heart was already enlarged and overworked before-

** _*swing!* *BANG!*_ **

"You two enjoy yourselves."

** _*slam!*_ **

It all happened so quickly. She almost moved her head just to see the impact. But a mild eye movement compensated for that. There was a dent where something big had impacted. And, underneath, there was someone on the floor.

They didn't move. Didn't speak, didn't cry. It just laid there, crumpled up... That was the first time she referred to anyone as an "it". What a vile, ugly thing to say about something that looks so sad and pathetic. They had to be a gem. But she dared not move to get a better look.

Then, a sniffle. Subtle sounds of movement.

_Don't look_, she thought. _Don't even react. They're always watching. They're waiting. They're going to use you and-_

Her train of thought was interrupted by a terrible cry. A cry that chilled the blood running through the body she occupied. It was familiar, not in just tone of voice. She and her body had cried just like that many times throughout their lives.

It was a cry for help. One made only when no one else is listening.

Then, the figure began to budge. Its torso slid sideways up the wall. She saw its face.

_Yellow?_

Her face was unmistakable. That had to be Yellow. But her color was... different. And there was a piece of duct tape covering where her diamond would be... No. That wasn't Yellow. Not anymore. That was Azurite.

They stared blankly at each other for what seemed like hours. Dried tears and a few patches of blood stained her white clothes, all contrasted with her brilliant blue-and-green sparkling skin. Then, fresh tears began to well at her eyes.

"St- Steven... Steven, she raped me..."

Malachite looked over at Azurite.

_What? Who?_ she thought.

But instead of elaborating, Azurite laid back down, the tears coming on.

_...I understand_, Malachite thought. _I understand._

She laid in silence and stillness as Azurite bawled, wailed, sobbed, crumpled. Then stopped. She had balled up into the fetal position.

_Azurite... Azurite, I'm so sorry, I..._

Her better judgement was screaming at her. She was already making eye and extremity movements that Pearl's hidden camera could pick up. Don't try and help her. It's for your own good. She's in a terrible spot right now, but it's best for both of you if-

"Uaaahh-ha-ha-haaaaaauuuuugh! Auuuuuughhhh-hah-haaaaauuuuuh..."

_No, no... Please don't cry, Azurite... I can't-_

"Steven, she raped me-e-eeee!"

The quiet sound of shifting covers and pillowcases could be heard with alert ears. Malachite was sitting up on the side of the bed. Azurite looked up, weary and sick.

"Ste... Steven..."

Malachite held out Steven's hand. She smiled at her old friend.

"I'm here for you," she used his gentle voice to say. "I'm here for you."

Azurite seemed mostly unphased by the kind gesture; she took her hand anyways.

"Steven... Steven, she..."

"I know. I understand."

Azurite jammed her face into Steven's chest, the tears starting up once more.

"Just tell me if you need anything," Malachite whispered.

Azurite gave a sniffle and a nod. Then, a quiet wail.

"Steven, she... She raped me... She raped meeeeee..."

"I know. But you're safe now. You're safe with me. Remember that."

"St-... Ste-ven... Thank you..."

"Please, don't thank me. Just try and heal what you can."

"I... I dunno if I... I'll... I'll try. I'll try..."

Malachite flashed Azurite a smile. Azurite didn't smile back, but she appreciated the warmth as she stood on her own and limped out of the room.

\--

"NO, NOOOOO! NOOOO-O-O-OOOOOOO!"

**"_SHUT UUUP!_ I'M GONNA SMASH YOUR FACE IN IF YOU DON'T STOP YOUR SCREAMING _NOOOOOOISE_!"**

_ ***whack!*** _

"AuuuAuuuAUUUUGHHH!"

_ ***THWACK!*** _

"Hkkh-... Ghh..."

"Hah... Hahhh... That shut you up," Green growled as she dragged an unconscious Azurite by the neck back to her new chambers. "Shame I didn't get to hear you **bitch** and **cry** about how I'm **not even letting you-! Fwhhh!**"

Green opened the door to Interrogation Room 001, discarded of Azurite like a bruised melon, and slammed the button to seal her in. She stood over the control panel, seething. A green-over-yellow aura overtook her. She felt much more powerful now that she took what should have been hers in the first place. But even she knew that she had to put a lid on it for now. Otherwise, the entire planet could be destroyed in one catastrophic outburst.

"Pink?" she said into her earpiece.

"Yeah?"

"I'm heading to my room."

"Need anything?"

"Yeah, sure... Just bring me up some pretzels from the vending machine or something."

"You got it."

Not wanting to cause structural damage with her stomping, Green floated over to the elevator, her fists balled, her aura pulsing. She pushed the top floor button with her mind, her anger threatening to boil over in a single push of the finger. Not only was Ye-... _**Azurite**_ walking around like she was a Diamond again, she was using the shower. The very same shower she once criticized because it was a human tool. Imbecile.

She reached the top floor. The throne room was empty. She resisted the urge to blast away all of the thrones, choosing instead to telekinetically slam the door to her quarters open, enter her room, and shut the door tight. She floated down to the ground, taking some deep breaths before sitting on the side of her bed. She knew what she wanted.

By her side appeared a medium-sized box.

She picked it up and held it in her hands. The top opened up. Up popped a ballerina, and a song began to play. Her angry expression melted into a sort of peace. The gentle notes soothed her. Then the nostalgia crept in. 

_Dad..._

_"Hey, why are you crying?... You ok?"_

_No. Dad. This was..._

_"This wasn't a gift for you, it was a gift for me."_

_"Oh... I'm really sorry about that. She didn't tell me she had kids... You okay there?"_

_"...I..."_

_Shaky hands. Seeing red._

_"I don't... I don't feel so good..."_

_"Y'need to lay down, or-"_

_"I, I DON'T FEEL SO GOOD!"_

_"I know, I know, let's just lay you down and-"_

_YOU'RE NOT TAKING HIM AWAY FROM ME._

_"GRRRH!"_

** _*BANG! CRUNCH!*_ **

"...see the sun-set... The day is en-ding..."

_...blood... he's... bleeding..._

_*creeeaaak*_

"Green?"

_"Let that yawn out... There's no pre-ten-ding..."_

She took a deep breath and closed the music box. She looked unwell.

"She killed him."

Pink said nothing, but sat beside Green, keeping her hands to herself.

"She killed my dad," Green continued. "She was going to kill me over some stupid bullsh-... Crap... but..."

"But your father protected you."

"...Yeah... I loved my dad. I loved him more than anything ever... And that... That... She fu-... She stole him from me."

"Yes. She absolutely did."

"And then she went and got a boyfriend. She dumped my dad into the sea, and a few weeks later, she goes out and-!"

"Green! Green, be calm. You have all the payback you could ever ask for now. All the beatings. All the pain. You can inflict that a thousand-fold."

"N- No! I can't do that! I can't absolutely kill and destroy her the way she did me!"

"Of course you can. She had twelve, thirteen years to ruin you. With me, you have thousands to annihilate her!"

Something clicked inside Green.

_Thousands of years._

Her aura flared back up.

"How many times can I kill someone in a few thousand years?"

"If we start today... Probably several billion times. Assuming you'd draw it out."

**"Then let's get back to work! I'm gonna make her pray for me to drown her in dirty dishwater!"**

"You got it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray I finally updated the story yaaaaay! Hope I didn't keep yall waiting too long.

**Author's Note:**

> Sadly, this work has been canceled. See the comments below.


End file.
